Knight of the Hazard
by NyxShadow
Summary: AU There are many groups of Tamers around the world, like the Digidestined. And everyone knows about it, but not everyone is a Tamer, like Takato. But maybe, 17 year old Takato just might play the most important role of all. No DReaper!
1. At the Beginning

Hey, this is my first story so please be patient. I hope it's a good start to what i think will be a good story. Please read and review!

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon, and I never will.

Title: Hazard Knight of the Tamers

Chapter One: At the Beginning

Seventeen-year old Takato Matsuki sighed in depression as he watched his friends Henry Wong, Jeri Katou, Suzie Wong, Kazu Shiota and Kenta Kitagawa talk animatedly with their digimon Terriermon, Leomon, Lopmon, Guardromon and MarineAngemon.

Four years ago, digimon began to pop everywhere and they chose their partners. Now every kid had a digimon, every one except him. His friends let him hang out with their digimon out of sympathy but it wasn't the same.

'_Why is it that I'm the only kid who didn't get a partner? Am I not good enough? Maybe I'm not worthy of being one._' he thought to himself.

Hoping to distract himself from his depression, Takato took out his sketchpad and began to draw out what his ideal digimon would be like.

He drew a red dragon with black markings all over and a black hazard symbol on the dragon's white belly. The dragon had bright gold eyes and ears much like Patamon's ears. The dragon was also about Takato's height and relatively muscular. Under the drawing, Takato wrote the name, Guilmon.

He then began to write down the stats for his digimon and he was almost done when Kazu called out to him.

"Hey Chumley, it's almost sunset. Didn't your mom say you should be back at home by now?" the spikey-haired Tamer queried and Takato swore loudly.

"Damn, you're right! See you guys later, I gotta go save my hide!" Takato cried, running out of the park without another word.

"Takato gets sadder with every passing day. I wish we could do something, but the only thing I know that will make him happy is if he gets a digimon." Jeri said sadly.

"It can't be helped. Digimon stopped coming for partners two years ago. Takato was just the unlucky one who didn't get a partner. Now, I'm wondering if it really was just bad luck or something different altogether. What if it was something else?" Henry asked his friends, having no idea that he was actually on the right path to finding the reason why Takato never received a partner.

That night, as Takato slept, two glowing fish-like creatures entered his room and took the data he had made concerning Guilmon and then they disappeared without a trace.

After they left, Takato's peaceful sleep was disturbed and he began to toss and turn restlessly.

/_Takato found himself in a strange cave covered in ice. _

_"W-where am I?" Takato stuttered while shivering from the cold. He was only wearing his boxers after all and there was no way for him to warm himself up. '**Damn it's cold. How did I get here? Last thing I remember is going to sleep. Is this a dream?**'_

_Takato suddenly stiffened as two scaly wings covered him from behind._

_"Are you cold, my Tamer?" an icy voice sneered from behind him. Takato looked up to see that an IceDevimon was the one who had a hold of him._

_"T-Tamer? W-what do you mean?" Takato asked through his chattering teeth. He was grateful for the added warmth, but something about IceDevimon just rubbed him the wrong way._

_"You are the only human child left without a partner, but you are, by far, the one child with the greatest potential as a Digimon Tamer. The other digimon were fools to have ignored you." IceDevimon sneered._

_"G-greatest potential?" Takato repeated disbelievingly. "I think you've got the wrong guy. It can't be me." IceDevimon just snorted in amusement._

_"Oh it's you, alright. I can sense the power coursing through your veins. There's no mistaking it. Just think Takato, together we can show the world that we're the strongest, no one will be able to stop us in our ascent to power. Look at all my trophies, and you'll know that what I say about my power is true._" _IceDevimon told the red-eyed boy._

_Takato obligingly scanned the entire cave and gasped in horror. IceDevimon's "trophies" were in fact frozen digimon, all that had looks of pure terror on their face._

_"That's horrible! How could you do this to all these poor digimon!" Takato cried in outrage, fighting his way out of IceDevimon's grasp and glaring at him. "I won't be your Tamer, not now, not ever!" IceDevimon just scoffed._

_"You have no choice boy; you will give me the power I desire." IceDevimon snarled, reaching out a large hand for the boy._

_Frozen in terror, Takato could only close his eyes as the fallen angel digimon reached for him. '**I wanted a partner, but not him! Somebody help me… Please.**'_

_His prayer was answered fortunately in the form of:_

_"Pyro Sphere!"_

_IceDevimon let out a snarl of fury as a fireball burned his outstretched hand and he immediately withdrew it._

_"Who dares attack me in my own domain?" he demanded angrily._

_"That would be me. And I'd like you to get away from **my** Tamer." a voice said before Takato's savior came out of the shadows. Takato gaped in shock because there before him was the digimon that he thought had only been a figment of his imagination: Guilmon._

_"Your Tamer? What proof do you have that he's yours?" IceDevimon snapped at the dragon digimon who smirked in a feral manner._

_"This does." he responded simply as a golden D-Power with strange digital symbols on it appeared in Takato's hands as did his modify cards. IceDevimon cried out in rage and glared at Guilmon._

_"He was supposed to be my Tamer! How dare you steal him away!" the ice digimon snarled. "Tundra Freeze!"_

_"Get behind me, Tamer!" Guilmon ordered before launching an attack himself. "Pyro Sphere!"_

_Fire held the advantage over ice, so all that was left of the attacks was steam._

_"Damn you, you pathetic vermin! Frozen Claw!" IceDevimon yelled._

_"I'm going to need your help for this one, Takato." Guilmon said and Takato nodded, not even pondering over the fact that the digimon somehow knew his name._

_Takato took out a card and swiped it through his D-Power._

_"**Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!**" _

_Guilmon immediately began to glow a bright red color as he digivolved._

_"**Guilmon Digivolve to… Growlmon!**"_/

"Takato, it's time for school!" Mrs. Matsuki called, immediately waking up her slumbering son.

Takato was breathing heavily and shivering like crazy.

'_It was just a dream, but why do I still feel cold?_' Takato thought in confusion, putting his hand against the side of his face. He immediately pulled it away, his hand was as cold as ice but his face was as hot as hell. '_Damn, I think I'm sick._' Takato, who had been getting up, fell to the floor as a massive dizzy spell hit him.

Takato moaned in discomfort, too weak to get up.

"Takato, I thought I told you to get up." his mother scolded before opening the door of his room. She gasped and rushed to his side. She felt his forehead and pulled it away almost immediately. He was burning hot. "You've got a fever! There's no way you're going to school in this condition! You're staying home." she decided, before helping Takato back into his bed.

"T-thanks, Mom." he said tiredly.

"You're welcome. I'm going to bring you some medicine and a thermometer. We've got to get your temperature down!" his mother exclaimed before leaving.

Once alone, Takato sighed. Now that he could actually think, the depression came back worse than before.

'_It was just a dream. Guilmon's not real and he never will be._' Takato thought dejectedly, not noticing that his drawing of Guilmon was missing along with the digimon's statistics.

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So how was it? Please review. I'd like to see if this story has a good start. Constructive criticism is allowed and I'm open to people giving suggestions for how this story should turn out and if there's anything in particular that you'd like to see. I'd love your suggestions.


	2. Hypnos and the Legendary Tamers

Hey, I'm back with the second chapter. I want to thank everyone who reviewed. I'm glad the story has caught some people's attention. I'm making Guilmon smarter than he was in the series. I didn't like the fact that all the other digimon were smart, but he was so naive. Also, I know i added Ryo in with the rest of Takato's friends, but that was a mistake. Takato hasn't met him before.

Charmeleon: thanks for the review, i really didn't know about your story, and I assure you, this will be different.

LanHikari2000X: thanks for the compliment. i thought the D-Reaper was a bit overused, the enemy I have in mind will be better than the D-Reaper.

TokiTenpi: thanks for the review! i'm glad you liked it. hopefully, this chapter will be to your liking!

Sleeping Kitty Napping: Rika is coming up in this chapter in fact. there was a story, i was made aware of just yesterday, that had a similar start, but only slightly, the other author and i have already established that. Thanks for the review.

Blue Bragon: thanks for the input, not everyone is a Tamer, it's a bit of a misprint, i just mean that there are more Tamers than in the series, the storyline will be different but i'm hoping everyone likes it; i think the same storyline kind of gets used a bit too often. A little change would be nice, right?

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon, though I wish I did

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Title: Knight of the Hazard

Chapter 2

Takato lie in bed, deep in thought. He couldn't get the dream out of his mind.

'_Why does it feel so real?_' he thought to himself. '_If it really was just a dream why do I feel so cold? I'm sick, for heaven's sake!_'

Takato was close to falling back to sleep when a loud, raucous voice shattered the peace.

"Hey Chumley! You feeling all right! You weren't at school today!" Kazu called out. Takato winced and moaned out as his headache grew worse thanks to his friend.

"Keep it down, Kazu! My heads pounding as it is!" he complained, groaning.

"Geez Chumley, are you having an orgasm?" Kazu asked dryly as he entered the room. Takato shot the boy a withering glare.

"Shut up, Kazu. That's not funny." Takato grouched, getting into a sitting position. Henry, Jeri, Kazu and Kenta all came around him.

"It's really odd that you got sick all of a sudden, Takato-kun. You were at perfect health yesterday." Henry commented, staring down at his best friend. Takato sweat dropped.

'_I can't tell them about the dream, they'd think I was absolutely crazy, or that it was just wishful thinking._' he thought to himself.

"I'm as clueless as you. All I know is I woke up freezing and sick." Takato said.

"Strange." Jeri said simply, but everyone of them, except Kazu, felt as if Takato was hiding something.

"You look tired, Takato-kun. Well leave you alone now." Kenta said and the group left quietly. Takato sighed and lied back onto his bed.

"They don't believe me, but how am I supposed to tell them that I'm sick because I somehow went to the arctic regions of the Digital World and met my digimon partner, who happens to be the very digimon I drew yesterday." Takato said to himself, a hint of amusement in his voice.

He turned to look at the drawing on his desk, but frowned when he noticed it wasn't there.

"Strange, I could have sworn that it was there last night." he commented, walking over to the desk and running his hand on the desk.

"The digignomes took it so that they could create me." a voice said from behind him. Takato whirled around and gaped at the sight.

There, standing in front of him, was Guilmon, with the golden D-Power resting on a piece of string around his neck.

"Sorry it took me so long to get here. Finding a portal to the Real World took longer than I thought." the digimon apologized.

"You're real? You're not just a dream?" Takato asked in shock. Guilmon nodded.

"IceDevimon captured your soul last night in an attempt to make you his Tamer. We defeated him together before you had to leave, remember?" Guilmon asked. Takato nodded.

"I remember." Takato said. "What did IceDevimon mean when he said I had the greatest potential?" Guilmon shrugged.

"That I don't know, Takato, but I'm sure we'll find out eventually. I'm here to protect you, Takato, and to be your friend. I've sensed how lonely you've been lately and I want to make you understand that you're not alone anymore." Guilmon declared.

"Thanks, Guilmon. That means a lot." Takato said. "I should tell my parents about you. They deserve to know if a digimon is going to stay in the house."

"Then let's go." Guilmon agreed and they walked out of the room together.

What they didn't know was that a red-haired girl with ice-cold violet eyes was watching them alongside her digimon partner, a yellow humanoid fox with purple gloves and a white belly, Renamon.

"So the last Tamer has finally arrived, and it's about damn time too. I was wondering when the third Legendary Tamer would arrive." the girl commented before she and Renamon disappeared.

"I can't believe that my mom actually agreed to letting you stay." Takato said that night. His fever had mysteriously disappeared soon after the arrival of his partner. He'd be going back to school the next day.

"She's a nice lady, if not a little scary when she wants to be." Guilmon said. When Mrs. Matsuki had seen Guilmon, she had freaked out and tried to chase him out of the house with a broom. It was only due to Mr. Matsuki and Takato's efforts to calm her that convinced her to let the digimon stay. It had shocked the hell out of her when she realized that her son had a digimon at last, a big one at that.

"Thank God Dad was there to calm her or you'd be all black and blue." Takato said, sweat dropping.

"He seemed to take it pretty well." the dragon digimon commented. Takato nodded before yawning.

"It's getting late. Oyasumi nasai, Guilmon." he said.

"Oyasumi, Takato." the dragon digimon responded, falling asleep.

The next day, Takato was running as fast as he could to school. He was late as usual.

"Damn it, why doesn't my alarm clock work!" he muttered to himself as he ran. He decided against bringing Guilmon, he wouldn't tell anyone about him. He felt that Guilmon should be kept a secret for some reason.

Since digimon were well known throughout the city, the Tamers who had digimon were allowed to bring them to school, since it was the digimon's duty to protect their partners no matter where they were.

Takato was almost at the school when he noticed a red-haired girl appear in front of the school with a Renamon. The girl turned suddenly and stared at Takato mysteriously before entering the school without a word.

"Who was that?" Takato asked himself curiously before continuing his run towards his class. He made it just as the bell rang.

"You just made it, Mr. Matsuki. Next time, make sure to be on time." the teacher, Ms. Asaji, said and Takato nodded, among the snickers of his classmate.

"I'll come earlier next time, sensei." Takato assured her before walking to his seat in the back of the class near the window. There was only one person near him, and that was Henry. Takato was a bit of an outcast in the class, mostly because people thought he was desperate for a partner and only hung out with Kazu, Kenta, Henry and Jeri because they had partners.

That day at lunch, Takato was walking to his normal spot under a tree when he suddenly bumped into somebody. When he looked up, there before him was Toki Urashima, the school rich kid; he had a Kotemon for a partner.

"Watch where you're going, Matsuki. You might get hurt." Toki threatened and Takato glared.

"Shove off, Urashima." Takato retorted, getting up and trying to leave.

"Hold it right there, Matsuki. You don't honestly think I'm going to let a _partner-less_ kid like you mess with me, do you?" Toki sneered. "You need to be taught a lesson for your cheek."

"Come on, Toki-san, he's just trying to mind his own business. Let him go." Henry said, trying to defend Takato.

"Go away, Wong, you can't do anything to stop me. You and your little bunny rabbit are hardly enough to stop me." Toki sneered.

Takato's patience was beginning to wear thin and his eyes flashed a bright gold color for a moment and two hazard symbols, one red and one black appeared on his wrists before fading away. Only one person noticed the strange incident and she was walking towards them at that very instant.

"You know, it really annoys me to see a guy flaunt his partner's power when his power isn't all that great." the red-haired girl Takato had seen earlier stated coldly, twisting Toki's arm behind his back while Renamon held Kotemon at her mercy.

"Who the hell are you, bitch?" Toki sneered.

"The name's Rika Nonaka, or if you don't remember, the Digimon Queen." the girl sneered and Toki paled. Takato was just plain stunned and he was staring at the girl incredulously.

"Rika Nonaka, as in one of the Legendary Tamers?" Takato said and the girl nodded.

"That's right, Goggles, don't forget it." she said. "Now leave Goggles alone, Urashima, or I'll make you hurt in ways you couldn't imagine."

Toki wrenched his arm out of her grasp and Renamon dropped Kotemon.

"This isn't over, Nonaka." Toki snapped before fleeing.

"You're good." Takato said in admiration, smiling at the girl. She smirked back.

"As always." she said in a slightly arrogant manner. "Now follow me, Goggles. We need to talk."

"Er… Okay." Takato said, following Rika without another word.

When they were a good distance away, Rika turned to him.

"I know you have a digimon, he was detected bio-emerging last night in your room." she said. Takato paled.

"How did you know that?" he asked quietly. Rika smirked.

"I'm sure you've heard of Hypnos by now, right? Well Hypnos monitors all the Tamers in the world, especially the ones in this region. They detected your digimon bio-emerging last night ad I went to investigate, on their orders. You see, we've been waiting for the Tamer who received his partner late. He's said to be quite special, a Legendary Tamer in fact. Like me and the Digimon King, Ryo Akiyama." Rika said. "That's why I'm here. Hypnos wishes to see you as soon as possible, but they need your consent. Will you come?" Takato gaped in shock.

"Me? A Legendary Tamer? Are you sure you've got the right guy?" Takato queried disbelievingly. Rika smirked again but it was Renamon who answered.

"We're certain. You've got a certain aura around you that just speaks of power. You will be one of the greatest Tamers to exist, as long as you have the proper training. That's where Hypnos comes in." the kitsune digimon said.

"I'll come then. I want to understand what this is all about and I believe Hypnos might just help." Takato said.

"Good choice." Rika said. "Shall we go?" Takato balked at that.

"Right now? But we still have school to take care of!" he argued. Rika just scoffed.

"This is more important and we're on a tight schedule, so come on!" she said, grabbing Takato by the wrist and running. "We'll get your partner from your home and go."

'_What have I gotten myself into?_' Takato thought to himself as they ran.

An hour later, Takato was fidgeting nervously under the observant gaze of the blonde-haired head of Hypnos, Mitsuo Yamaki. Guilmon was sitting beside him, gazing at all of the equipment in the room.

"So you are the third Legendary Tamer, we've been waiting for you to appear for a while now." Yamaki said.

"Why were you waiting? I'm not all that special." Takato questioned curiously. Yamaki just smirked.

"Don't sell yourself short, Mr. Matsuki. The fighting spirit you're giving off shows that you have great potential. The way you so easily adapted and bonded to your partner shows that you are indeed one of the Legendary Tamers. Rika tells me that you've been showing signs of supernatural energy since the bio-emergence of Guilmon yesterday. Only she and Ryo have shown signs of physical changes. moreover, the fact that now you are experiencing these changes so soon means you are bound to be powerful. If this power goes unchecked, however, it could spell disaster. We'll help you with that. Do you accept our offer of help?" the man queried, offering his hand out to the boy.

Takato thought for a moment before nodding.

"I'm all for it." he said, taking Yamaki's hand and shaking it.

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I hoped you liked it. Takato's finally received his digimon partner and become a Legendary Tamer, nonetheless! Keep reading to find out just what happens to Takato and his new team mates! Please review and give any suggestions to making this story better.


	3. Transfer Student

Hey, I'm back again with another chapter. Thanks again to the people who reviewed, I'm glad you like it. I've been made aware that I've made Guilmon a bit too serious. I'll try to return some of his child-like personality. His seriousness will still be there for battle, however. i don't want to change that. I hope that's okay.

Blue Bragon: thanks for the review again. I'm glad the stroy is to your liking so far. As said before, I'll bring back some of Guilmon's old personality, I forgot just how important it was to Guilmon's character sweatdrop

Spark McCloud: thanks for the review, i'll keep your suggestions for another story.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon, but I do own Artemis.

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Chapter 3A Friend from Abroad

"Something's up with Takato. He's been acting differently lately. He seems happier, which is good, but he's also rather secretive. He hangs out with that Nonaka girl often and she actually tolerates him. Kazu tried to flirt with her sometime ago and she cleaned his clock! What makes Takato so special?" Kenta asked. He, Henry, Kazu and Jeri were all in the park having a little talk.

"That's a minor thing at the moment, Kenta. There have been new digimon bio-emerging lately but they're anything but good. They're causing havoc all over the town. The strange thing is, before we can even go to fight them, they've already been destroyed. According to the news, the Legendary Tamers have been fighting them. The thing is there's a new Legendary Tamer, who has yet to be identified. He always stays in the shadows. He has a red dragon digimon, though. Nobody knows exactly what it is exactly. It's rumored to be a new species of digimon." Henry said seriously.

"A new Tamer? I thought the good digimon stopped coming two years ago. You said that yourself last week, Henry." Kazu said with a frown.

"Apparently I was wrong." Henry said grimly. "We should try to investigate this. There are only 14 Tamers in the Shinjuku/Tokyo district. With this new Tamer, there are 15. The odd thing is that this Tamer wishes to remain unidentified. The question is why."

"I know Toki is particularly interested in discovering the identity of this Legendary Tamer. I think he feels threatened by the fact that there might be another Tamer out there who can beat him."

"Let's try to get to the areas of bio-emergence before the Legendary Tamers, maybe then we can catch sight of the mysterious Tamer." Kazu said, having no idea that it really was his childhood friend.

Takato sighed and sank into his seat. He was dead tired. For the past week, he and Guilmon had been training with Ryo, Rika, Renamon and Cyberdramon. In addition to that, they were fighting all of the rogue digimon that had been appearing. There hardly was any time for a break.

'_Being a supposed Legendary Tamer has its price._' Takato thought dryly to himself.

"You okay, Takato? You look tired." Jeri asked in concern, standing before him.

"It's been A long week, Jeri. I'm sure you could agree with that." he said and she nodded.

"Digimon have been bio-emerging like crazy. I wonder what's with the sudden surge." she said. Takato just shrugged.

"Who knows, there are too many variables." he said.

"It's a pity that none of the digimon was a good one, otherwise there's a chance you could have got a digimon partner, Takato." Jeri said. Takato just gave her a mysterious smile.

"That's alright. I'm fine without one. I've gotten over the need for a partner. I realize there must have been a reason for me not receiving one and I'm fine with that. I don't want any of you to pity me anymore. Let's just go back to how we were before, okay?" he asked. Jeri looked surprised but nodded.

"I think that would be for the best, wouldn't you say?" she asked him with a soft smile before going back to her seat as class started.

"We've got a new student today, all the way from England! Please welcome Ms. Artemis Winthrop!" Ms. Asaji said as a pale-skinned girl walked into the room. She was very slim at about 5'4", with mid-back length flame red hair and intense sapphire blue eyes.

Instantly, the majority of the male population began grooming themselves, trying to make themselves presentable in front of the pretty girl.

"Ms. Winthrop, please take your seat beside Mr. Matsuki. He'll be your guide for the day." Ms. Asaji said, pointing Takato out.

The entire male population shot glares at Takato, but he ignored them. It wasn't like he cared much. He thought she'd reject him like all the rest as a "loser."

He was surprised when she offered her hand to him with a bright smile.

"Hi, I'm Artemis." she said. Takato gave her a shy smile before shaking her hand.

"Takato." he said.

For the rest of the day, Takato led her around and Artemis began to grow on him. By the end of school, Takato discovered that he liked being around her.

"Hey Takato, before you go home, I want to show you something." Artemis insisted and Takato agreed.

"So where are we going?" he asked her as they started walking.

"You'll see." she said.

A few minutes later, they were in the courtyard and Artemis appeared to be looking for someone. Before Takato could ask what it was, Artemis called out.

"Lucemon!"

Takato looked surprised as a child-like angel digimon floated down to the two teenagers.

"You're one of the British Tamers." he said in shock and awe. Artemis nodded, showing her D-Power, which had a baby blue colored rim.

"Lucemon appeared before me a couple of years ago and we've been best friends ever since. Do you have a partner?" she asked. When she saw Takato's smile falter slightly, she came to a conclusion. "Oh, I'm sorry." She was interrupted in her statement when a large dome of fog appeared around the school.

"Damn! It's a Digital Field!" Takato swore angrily.

"I've got to go check this out." Artemis said before running off, leaving Takato behind.

It was only a few minutes later when Takato heard a welcoming voice.

"Sorry I'm late, Takato." Guilmon said in his childish voice. "Hypnos detected the digimon so I came running. It's a good thing that the school isn't too far away from Hypnos, isn't it?"

"Let's go, Guilmon. The others should already be fighting the digimon." Takato said and they ran off.

From the safety of the shadows, they surveyed the battle and swore.

Gargomon, Leomon, Kyubimon, Guardromon, MarineAngemon, Piddomon (Lucemon's champion form), Dinohumon (Kotemon's champion form) were facing off against a large amount of Meramon.

"Looks like you'll need to go to the next level, Guilmon." Takato said, taking out the necessary card. "**Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!**"

Everyone stopped fighting to see Growlmon coming their way with a feral glint in his eyes.

"It's about time you got here, where's your Tamer?" Rika asked the dragon with a smirk.

"He's watching from a safe distance." Growlmon answered, his innocence temporarily non-existent in the face of battle.

"Are you that new Legendary Tamer's digimon?" Kazu gaped and Growlmon nodded.

"Questions later, fighting now." he said before turning to the Meramon. "Pyro Blaster!"

The large flame blast quickly destroyed three Meramon, much to the astonishment of the observers.

"Damn he's strong, but not as strong as Dinohumon." Toki said arrogantly as he signaled for his digimon to attack.

"Lizard Dance!" Dinohumon called out and his attack managed to decimate two Meramon, much to Toki's disappointment.

"Getting too cocky, Toki?" Kyubimon taunted before running forward. "Fox Tail Inferno!" Her attack managed to destroy four Meramon. She and Growlmon may be near the same power level, but she had more experience.

"That's how a real digimon takes out an opponent." Rika smirked, causing Toki to growl angrily at her. He was really beginning to hate her.

"Can you keep the taunting and the arguing for later?" Henry groaned as his own partner went off to fight.

"Gargo Laser!" Gargomon yelled, going trigger happy and killing two Meramon and injuring a third. "Am I good or am I good?" Henry sweat dropped.

"He doesn't take anything seriously." he groaned.

"Tough luck, at least my partner is reliable." Kazu said.

"Thanks, Kazu! Now here comes the cavalry!" Guardromon yelled, launching himself at the Meramon and completely missing. He slammed into a wall instead.

"Guardromon!" Kazu groaned, covering his face in embarrassment.

Once Guardromon came back to his senses, he finally attacked.

"Guardian Barrage!" he yelled, killing off one Meramon and finishing off the one that Gargomon had injured.

"It's our turn now." Jeri said, nodding at Leomon. He jumped into the air and gathered energy into his fist.

"Fist of the Beast King!" Leomon cried, destroying two Meramon.

"Come on, Piddomon. Show them what we British Tamers can do!" Artemis called out in encouragement to her digimon, who went forward.

"Apollo Tornado!" Piddomon yelled, killing three Meramon easily.

'_She's powerful._' Takato realized with admiration. '_This seems a little too easy though. Why aren't the Meramon attacking?_'

His suspicions had a hint of truth in them, for the Meramon suddenly lashed out in a unified attack against the Tamers.

"MAGMA BLAST!" the remaining Meramon cried together, releasing a raging inferno.

"Oh crap!" Henry swore, quickly slashing a card. "**Digimodify! WarGreymon's Brave Shield Activate!**"

Gargomon stepped in front of everyone and managed to block the brunt of the blast with the large shield that appeared before him.

"Good thinking, Braniac. You saved our butts out there." Rika praised and Henry blushed modestly.

"It was nothing." he insisted.

"Let's finish them off before they can make another attack on us." Piddomon suggested, powering up for another attack. The others quickly agreed.

"Let's do this together this time, okay?" Jeri said and everyone agreed.

"Pyro Blaster!"

"Dragon Wheel!"

"Lizard Dance!"

"Guardian Barrage!"

"Kahuna Waves!"

"Fist of the Beast King!"

"Gargo Laser!"

"Fire Feather!"

The seven attacks combined together to form a huge fireball that engulfed every single Meramon and destroyed them instantly.

"We did it!" Kazu cheered, jumping up and down in the air. The others, minus Rika and Artemis, cheered as well.

"That was still too easy. Those Meramon were too weak. They shouldn't have been destroyed so easily. It's almost like someone was testing us." Artemis frowned.

This statement effectively quelled the happy mood everybody was in and they all looked at each other in worry.

"You mean that someone may be behind these freak bio-emergences?" Henry asked the girl seriously.

"There might be someone." Rika came in. "I suggest all of you remain on your guard. Growlmon, I expect you to convey this message to your Tamer. He might be the one who needs to be the most alert. As the newest Tamer, he's bound to cause alarm to anybody who wishes ill will to our world. No Tamer has been able to bring their partner to Champion level as quickly as he made you digivolve and that will cause him problems. Tell him to be careful."

"I won't let anyone get to him." Growlmon promised before stomping off.

"Growlmon, is that his name? You seem to know his Tamer, who is he?" Kenta queried.

"That's none of your concern, Four Eyes. He wants his identity to be a secret and I'll respect his wish. Don't go trying to find out who he was, otherwise I'll know." Rika threatened before leaving them with Kyubimon.

Takato sighed in relief from where he hid before turning to leave. His movement, however, caught one person's eye.

'_Takato?_' Artemis thought.

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	4. Day at the Beach

Hey I'm back. I hope things are better explained in this chapter. I appreciate any suggestions and i'll gladly take them into mind.

Blue Bragon: thank for being a great reviewer so far, and as i mentioned before, if you want to give me some information on your OC character, I can find a way to put him/her into the story. I'd be glad to do it.

Game and Watch Forever: thank for reviewing, means a lot to me that you actually checked my story out, Alf. I hope you like it.

ShiroKnight: thanks for the review, I'm glad you like the story and I hope it meets your expectations.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon but I do own Artemis.

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Chapter 4Beach Day

It was a Friday, two days after the mass Meramon attack. The school had been closed temporarily so that they could get some reparations done.

Artemis was at Hypnos talking with Yamaki.

"Ah, so you are the Legendary Tamer of England. No surprise with a holy digimon, they're often the easiest to form a strong bond with." Yamaki said, nodding at Lucemon, who beamed proudly. "From what Rika told me, Lucemon is quite powerful for you only having him with you for two years while most everyone else has had their partners for four years. I hope you'll enjoy your working with the other Legendary Tamers. It's good to have you on the team."

"It's good to be on it." Artemis smiled, shaking Yamaki's hand. "I do have a question for you, Mr. Yamaki. You say Hypnos has employed any detected Legendary Tamer, right?"

"That's right, there's four now with you on board." Yamaki said.

"Would you mind giving me some information about them? I'd like to know about my colleagues." Artemis said with a small smile.

The three Legendary Tamers were taking a break from all the training and digimon battling at a beach.

Rika was wearing a light blue and silver bikini that showed off her seductive curves, much to Ryo's enjoyment. Ryo was wearing a pair of silver swim trunks with a blue dragon on it. Takato wore red swim trunks with a gold flame design on it.

"Looking good there, Wildcat!" Ryo teased Rika. She blushed angrily and glared at him.

"Shut it, Pretty Boy. My mom forced me into it." she huffed, crossing her arms.

"And I'm so glad she did!" Ryo shot back playfully, causing Rika's eyes to flare with temper.

"You're dead, Akiyama!" she cried, chasing after him as he threw one flirtatious remark at her after another.

Takato chuckled softly at their antics while sitting with Guilmon, Monodramon and Renamon under the beach umbrella.

"Ryo seems to have a bit of a death wish." he commented.

"He's always like this. He gets worse with every passing day. Every body can see that he's crazy for Rika, except her. She doesn't take his flirting seriously." Renamon said.

"That's a pity. They seem well suited for each other." Takato commented, lying back on his beach towel and looking up at the sky.

"What about you, Takato? Is there any girl you like?" Monodramon asked innocently. Takato blushed faintly.

"Well there is, but I don't think she'd ever like me back. I think she still pities me for 'not having a partner.' No relationship can exist if it's out of pity." Takato said with a sad smile.

"Too true." Renamon agreed.

"You think those two will ever stop running around in circles and actually tell each other how they feel?" Guilmon asked, referring to Rika and Ryo.

"Maybe, but they're both stubborn as mules. What would you expect from the Digimon King and Queen?" Renamon said with a small smirk, and they all chuckled.

"What are you doing just sitting there like a bum, Takato? Come out and enjoy the sunlight!" Ryo smirked, dragging Takato onto his feet and pulling him towards the water.

"Hey, let go!" Takato protested, pulling against the older teenager.

"Stop whining, Goggles, and face this like a man!" Rika taunted playfully, helping Ryo drag the shy boy out of the shadows.

"Come on, this isn't funny!" Takato whined pitifully, digging his feet into the sand, hoping to slow them down with little success.

"You think we should help him?" Renamon asked the other two digimon coolly. They looked at each other before speaking together.

"Naw!" The three digimon smirked and chuckled at the hazard Tamer's misfortune.

"KYAAAH!" Takato yelled, as he was pushed into the water.

As a waterlogged Takato emerged from the water, Rika and Ryo burst into laughter.

"Glad you're having fun at my expense." Takato said dryly, walking out of the water and shaking his head, hoping to get the water out of his hair, which was sticking to his face and neck in an annoying manner.

"Come on, Takato. You need to stop hiding and smell the fresh air for once. We're your friends! We won't bite." Ryo said, slapping the younger boy on his back. Takato smirked back at him.

"If we're friends, then I hope you don't mind THIS!" Takato said, pushing Ryo into the water when he was off guard.

Rika burst out laughing at the sight of Ryo, whose spiky hair was beginning to droop from the water.

"He got you, Pretty Boy!" Rika crowed evilly.

"Takato? Is that you?" a soft voice asked from behind them and Takato stiffened. He turned around to see Artemis who was wearing a white halter bikini top with blue shorts.

She had already caught the attention of quite a few boys on the beach, but seemed unaware of it as she approached her classmate. Lucemon was beside her, proving to be the only reason why no boy dared approach her. They were too afraid that Lucemon would beat them if they tried to approach his Tamer.

"Artemis? What are you doing here?" Takato asked in surprise. '_Shimmata! Guilmon is here and there's no way to hide him without her noticing!_' he thought to himself.

"I'm doing a bit of sight-seeing. I just moved here a couple of days ago, after all. I want to enjoy a bit." Artemis said. "By the way, how's Guilmon?"

Takato nearly passed out from shock when she asked that question and he gaped at her like a fish.

"H-how'd you know about him?" he finally stuttered out.

"Yamaki-san told me about him and the other two digimon. It's only logical that I get to know some things about my fellow Legendary Tamers, right?" Artemis asked.

"You're a Legendary Tamer too?" Ryo asked in surprise and Artemis nodded.

"The only one in the British region, now I'm apart of the Shinjuku/Tokyo region." Artemis said. "So how are Guilmon, Renamon and Monodramon?"

"Why don't you ask them yourself?" Rika asked, gesturing to the digimon who had now come out from under the beach umbrella.

"I remember how you fought back at the school; it will be an honor to work with you." Renamon said politely to Artemis and Lucemon, bowing.

"Likewise, Renamon. You're quite the warrior." Lucemon answered for his Tamer, bowing as well.

"Hi, I'm Guilmon. Nice to meet you." Guilmon said cheerfully, extending his hand out, which Artemis took while giggling.

"You're so cute, Guilmon! I know I'll like working with you." Artemis said. Takato sweat dropped at the cute comment and sulked.

"I didn't design him to be cute." he pouted. The others chuckled at this, but Artemis looked surprised.

"You created him, Takato?" she asked and he nodded.

"It was almost by accident." he admitted, scratching the back of his head sheepishly.

"That's really cool. No wonder he seems so special." Artemis said, petting Guilmon on the head. He seemed to enjoy the attention and actually purred slightly.

"As vicious as he is in battle, he's still a complete softy during peacetime." Rika said in amusement as they all sat down.

"Why haven't you told everybody your identity, Takato? Don't the other Tamers deserve to know who the third Japanese Legendary Tamer is?" Artemis asked curiously. Takato just gave her an empty smile.

"I don't think they'd be willing to accept that I could be a Legendary Tamer, a kid who was 'desperate' for a partner, as many people believed. It's not the truth. The reason I was depressed was that I felt as if something was missing. I guess I've been waiting for Guilmon the entire time. They won't understand that." Takato explained.

"You shouldn't sell them short, Takato. They're a nice bunch, well except for that Toki guy, if they really consider you a friend, they'd understand." Artemis insisted.

"Maybe so, but I'm not ready to tell them just yet. Maybe I'll tell them later, but not now." Takato said. Artemis didn't argue anymore, she knew he needed time.

"This is supposed to be our day off, no more talk about the unpleasant things." Ryo insisted. "Now anyone up for a game of volleyball?"

"I'm up for it, and I know I'll kick your butt." Rika smirked, getting up and looking at Ryo in a challenging manner.

"Are you so sure about that, Wild Cat?" Ryo smirked before turning to Artemis. "It would be an honor if you'd be on my team, milady." Ryo said this with a mock bow that caused the European teenager to giggle.

"It would be my pleasure, good sir." she replied, walking to his side.

Takato, on the other hand, found himself roughly dragged onto his feet by Rika.

"We'll beat them, Goggles." she said with certainty, glaring at him to show that she meant business.

"R-right, ma'am." he squeaked nervously as they headed off to the nearest volleyball net, with the volleyball Ryo had brought along.

"The digimon will also participate to make things interesting. Monodramon, Guilmon, since your claws might be a problem it would be best if you sat this one out." Ryo said, giving an apologetic smile.

"That's alright; I'm too short to play anyways." Monodramon said with a grimace.

"I don't know how to play." Guilmon said simply as he and Monodramon sat down at the sidelines.

"So it's Ryo, Artemis and Lucemon on one end, and Takato, Rika and me on the other." Renamon said calmly, walking up to her Tamer.

"Let's get started!" Rika called out, starting out the game.

Thirty minutes later, the score was 10-7 in Ryo's favor. Rika wasn't taking it too lightly.

"Damn it, Goggles, if you let one more ball past you, I'll kill you." she threatened and Takato sweat dropped.

"I'll keep that in mind." he said nervously.

The happy atmosphere quickly shattered as a Digital Field appeared from the water and surrounded the beach.

"Do these things follow us wherever we go or something?" Rika asked in frustration.

"No time to grouch about it, Rika. We've got to take care of whatever it is before someone gets hurt!" Artemis exclaimed, taking out her D-Power from her small bag while the others retrieved theirs.

"Takato, you should stay here. We can't let people know that you are the third Legendary Tamer." Ryo said and Takato nodded reluctantly.

When the digimon finally arrived, the three Tamers swore.

"It's MarineDevimon, an Ultimate. Only Ryo can get his partner to Ultimate so far, out of all the Japanese Tamers. What about Lucemon, Artemis? How powerful can he get?" Rika asked the British girl.

"He can only get to Champion, sorry." Artemis apologized.

"I guess we'll have to make do with what we have." Ryo said, as the three Tamers digivolved their partners.

"**Monodramon Digivolve to… Strikedramon! Strikedramon Matrix Digivolve to… Cyberdramon!"**

"**Renamon Digivolve to… Kyubimon!**"

"**Lucemon Digivolve to… Piddomon!**"

"You are three of the Legendary Tamers, but where's the fourth? Where is the Hazard Tamer?" MarineDevimon demanded. Ryo, Rika and Artemis looked confused.

"Hazard Tamer? What the hell do you mean by that!" Rika snapped. She knew he was talking about Takato, but she wanted an explanation of the title.

"You will find out eventually, Seirei Tamer, if you survive that is. Dark Deluge!" MarineDevimon yelled, sending his attack at Rika, but Kyubimon quickly retaliated with an attack of her own while pulling her Tamer out of the line of fire.

"Fox Tail Inferno!"

The fire balls managed to weaken the attack, but it still managed to go through and hit the area where Rika had once been.

"Now you're playing dirty! Cyberdramon!" Ryo called out.

"Right." the dragon growled viciously. "Desolation Claw!" This attack had devastating effects on MarineDevimon, causing him to have several holes in his body.

"Cyberdramon is a tad destructive, is he not?" Artemis asked nervously. "He's so different from Monodramon."

"It's a side effect of his digivolving to Ultimate level." Ryo admitted sheepishly.

"Well, we should finish MarineDevimon while he's down. Piddomon, your turn." Artemis stated and the angel digimon prepared his attack.

"Fire Feather!" Piddomon yelled, finishing off the digimon.

None of them seemed happy upon defeating the monster, however.

"Like the last time, this was too easy. That MarineDevimon wasn't at full power. What is the reason behind these attacks? Someone is behind this and we'll have to find out who it is and soon." Rika said grimly. "They seem to be particularly interested in the Legendary Tamers; MarineDevimon seemed to be having a fit because Takato wasn't fighting."

"Then I guess we need to be on high alert then." Artemis declared as the digimon reverted back to their Rookie forms.

"So much for a day off, ne?" Takato asked as they returned to the beach umbrella where he was. "We should talk to Yamaki-san about this."

"True, but today is still our day off. Can't we just enjoy the last few hours of free time we have instead of going straight back to work?" Ryo said and the others agreed readily.

"You know the entire time; Artemis is the only one who hasn't gotten wet." Takato smirked, eyeing the girl evilly.

"T-Takato...Don't…" She began to back away from him nervously, not realizing that she was nearing Ryo.

Artemis squealed as Ryo grabbed her from behind and began to run towards the water.

"No, Ryo!" Artemis cried, trying to get away with little success, laughing all the same.

"Run, Ryo! Run!" Rika and Takato cheered and laughed as Ryo finally threw Artemis into the water.

"That's not fair!" Artemis wailed as she flew into the water. Ryo, Rika, Takato and even the digimon laughed good-naturedly as they waited for Artemis to resurface. Artemis finally broke the surface after about thirty seconds, her hair flying over and slapping her back lightly; some of the guys watching her from the shore couldn't help but whistle.

Artemis turned to look at her friends. "That wasn't fair." She smiled. "It was three against one!" she giggled, walking towards them, water dripping down. She was now soaked, and everyone else was dry, with the exception of Ryo, who was wet from the waist down when he walked into the water to toss her in.

Lucemon immediately came forward and helped her out of the water. Then with an impish grin, he spoke out.

"Actually, Artemis, it was seven of us against one. Us digimon were with the Japanese Legendary Tamers." he said. Then he turned to the boys who had whistled at her and glared. "You leave her alone! You dare get near my Tamer and I'll send you into next week!" He shook his fist at them threateningly.

Artemis was surprised when Takato even joined Lucemon.

"He won't be the only one you have to deal with if you do that again. That has got to be one of the most degrading things you can do to a woman." he said with an uncharacteristic glare on his face. His eyes flashed gold again, much like the time he stood up to Toki.

The boys quickly backed away and left, looking nervously at both Lucemon and Takato.

"Thanks, Lucemon. Thanks, Takato-kun." Artemis said, sounding surprised. She gave Takato a questioning look but he only shot her a warm smile.

"Don't sound so shocked, Artemis. You're a friend, and friends stick up for each other, right?" Takato queried and Artemis nodded, smiling happily as she walked over to him.

"So you really think of me as a friend, Takato-kun?" she inquired and he nodded. She then hugged him tightly, causing him to blush slightly, well aware that the boys he and Lucemon had just scared off were watching from a slight distance. Throwing caution into the wind, Takato wrapped his arms around his new friend's slim, and bare, waist and hugged her to him as well. He had true friends now. How great was that?

"Hey I want a hug!" Ryo said playfully. "Rika, give me a hug!" Rika glared and as Ryo approached her, she slapped him. Ryo pretended to look hurt, and put one of her hands to his heart. Her cheeks went red but she didn't say anything.

"You wound me, Rika." he whimpered and Artemis giggled at his antics. She let go of Takato and approached him.

"Come here, Ryo!" she said and Ryo triumphantly hugged her. Once Artemis let go, she went to Rika and grinned. "Men are such babies aren't they?"

"Hey!" Lucemon cried out, offended by his partner's statement. Artemis giggled again and made a quick revision to her previous comment.

"All men are babies except Lucemon… And Takato." she added as an afterthought. Takato grinned and placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence." he said, chuckling as Ryo pouted. Rika looked triumphant and gave Artemis a thumbs up.

"I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship." Artemis laughed. She smiled as everyone agreed.


	5. Tension

Hey I'm back. I'm sorry that it took me longer to post up my next chapter but I'm currently participating in this seven week science program in the University of Florida, and I was unable to post. I'm currently back home for a small holiday since it's near the fourth of July. I'll most likely be able to post the next chapter in about four weeks, but I'll try to post it earlier.

Blue Bragon: thanks for the review, I'm glad you liked the chapter.

takari freak: i love Ryuki too, but Rukato is cool too. I'm glad you're interested in this story.

The Anime Freak: it's nice to see someone who seems so enthusiastic about this story. I hope I can maintain this story's value.

Firehedgehog: you're becoming a frequent reviewer and reader, I thank you for it.

00-Lan:the Gold-Eye/Hazard thing will be explained soon enough. I created it at first, because I thought it would show just how different Takato is in comparison to the other Tamers.

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Chapter 5Tension

The four Legendary Tamers were at Hypnos discussing the previous day's attack during a conference with all the important government officials.

"So the MarineDevimon called you the Seirei Tamer and Takato the Hazard Tamer, is that correct, Ms. Nonaka?" Riley, Yamaki's co-worker and lover asked the violet-eyed girl.

"That's right. He also said we'd find out what they meant soon enough. These digimon seem particularly interested in the Legendary Tamers, but I don't know why. Someone's behind these attacks and it's important we find out who." the Digimon Queen said. She was rather tense at the moment and on the verge of losing her temper. She wasn't in the best mood. Her mom had been on her case about her clothes and the way she acted and things didn't turn out so well.

"Leave that investigation to us. You four just stay on the alert. We can't have any of you getting hurt. You're our responsibility and it's our job to protect you, like it's your job to protect the people and guide the other Tamers." Yamaki said calmly.

"If that's your order, sir." Ryo said, in full business mode. None of his playful, optimistic behavior could be seen. No one would be able to believe that this was the same Ryo that had joked and messed around with his friends the day before.

"Try not to worry the other Tamers too much, that would cause more problems than good." Tally, another of Yamaki's co-workers, added as an afterthought.

"Don't worry; we'll only give them a small amount of background information on the situation, nothing more." Artemis said.

"Good, you all are dismissed." Yamaki said and the four Tamers left the building.

"What's wrong, Takato? You've been awfully quiet lately." Artemis asked her friend in concern. She had noticed how silent Takato was during the meeting and she was curious to know what was bugging him.

"I was just wondering, what exactly is so special about the Legendary Tamers? What makes them so special compared to the others?" he questioned, looking at the three more experienced Tamers. They all looked at each other before looking back at Takato.

"It's hard to say, Takato. All we know is that the four of us have bonds with our partners that go much deeper than the bonds of the other Tamers, and that we go through supernatural changes as the bond between Tamer and digimon grows stronger. Hasn't there been times when you feel that Guilmon is right there with you despite the fact that he could actually be miles away?" Ryo said, trying to explain the difference between the normal Tamer and the Legendary Tamers the best way he could. Takato looked thoughtful.

"Well, it's happened once or twice. If I was in deep thought or something, not really aware of my surroundings, I hear Guilmon's voice, but I always thought I was just imagining things." Takato admitted, scratching the back of his head.

"That's the only real difference I can explain to you right now, Takato. Even we don't know much about being a Legendary Tamer. The Hypnos officials were the ones who told us what we were. They apparently get their information straight from the Digimon Sovereigns themselves, but they only tell us a small bit of what they learn." Rika said. "It sucks, but that's how things are. I'm sure we'll understand everything sooner or later."

"I hope so." Takato said, looking deep in thought while patting his partner on the head.

Everyone in the class turned and stared in disbelief as Takato and Artemis entered the room chatting amiably, unaware of everyone.

"What's Matsuki got that we don't?" one boy asked in a whisper as the two Legendary Tamers passed by.

"The girl." his companion answered with a groan.

Jeri was also watching them, a foreign emotion beginning to stir inside her… Was it jealousy?

"So you like to sing, Artemis. Why don't you sing at the Spring festival coming up in about a month or so?" Takato queried as they sat down. Artemis blushed modestly and looked down at the floor.

"I couldn't possibly sing there. I'm not good enough." she said with a grimace. "I'd just embarrass myself in front of everybody." Takato just chuckled and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder.

"You'll do fine. I'm sure you sing well, and I think you should give everybody the opportunity to hear you sing." Takato said. "It can't hurt to try." Artemis nodded softly in agreement and then smiled.

"I guess I'll give it a try. Promise me you'll be there for support?" she queried, giving Takato a pleading look. He gave her a warm smile as a response.

"I wouldn't miss it." he assured her before turning to face Ms. Asaji as she began to talk.

"As you all know, the Spring festival is coming up. As usual there will be a talent competition and an art gallery, but this time there will also be a digimon tournament sponsored by Hypnos. All registered Tamers are allowed to participate to see just who the best Tamer is." Ms. Asaji said. The class immediately buzzed with excitement.

"A Digimon Tournament, how cool! We've never had one of those before!" Kazu exclaimed, practically jumping up and down in his seat. "I'm going to win it hands down."

"I don't think so, Kazu. Just think of all the other Tamers. Rika Nonaka or Ryo Akiyama will most likely win; they are Legendary Tamers after all. Artemis over there is also a Legendary Tamer, the only British one. They're bound to have more experience and power than all of us." Kenta said.

"Not quite, Kenta. Just because we're Legendary Tamers doesn't mean we're all powerful. The uniqueness of the Legendary Tamers doesn't lie in their strength, but in their willingness to do whatever they can to protect everyone. You all have a good chance in winning." Artemis said sweetly. Kazu looked triumphant at that.

"See, Kenta? We do stand a chance after all!" he said. He looked thoughtful for a moment before he voiced a question that was on a lot of people's minds. "Do you think the mysterious Legendary Tamer will participate?" Takato stiffened at this and looked sort of nervous. Henry noticed but didn't comment. He was much too confused and he knew his friend wouldn't like it if he pointed it out to the entire class.

"He might enter or he might not. It depends on how he feels." Artemis said vaguely. She respected Takato's decision. It would be up to him to join or not.

The rest of the period was spent discussing the festival and what the class would do to contribute to it. Artemis signed up for the talent competition while Takato decided to give some of his paintings to the art gallery. Jeri would help provide food, Kazu and Kenta would set up a digimon card trading booth, and Henry would help out with decorating and promoting the festival.

The next period was the Boys' P.E. period, one of Takato's least favorite classes, mainly because Toki always ended up using him as a punching bag.

"Today we'll be starting our martial arts unit and I want to see where all of you stand." the teacher, Mr. Chiba, said in a strict voice. Takato grimaced. Granted he was learning martial arts in Hypnos and he was learning fast, he didn't want to show that he could fight. People would find it odd that he suddenly knew how to fight when he could barely block one of Toki's punches only a couple of weeks ago.

Henry went first against a boy named Tatsuyoshi and easily defeated him with his impressive martial arts background. Kazu lost dismally, much to his own embarrassment. Kenta lost too, his lack of athletic ability being the main reason for his defeat. He did show some potential, however.

Finally, it was Takato's turn, and he was going against Toki. The goggle boy groaned at his own misfortune. Someone really must have it in for him. He walked up hesitantly to the mat and got in a defensive position.

"You're going down, Matsuki." Toki sneered maliciously, his eyes promising pain. Takato just set his mouth into a grim line and braced himself.

"Start!" Mr. Chiba called out and Toki started coming at Takato. What happened next surprised everyone, even Takato.

Takato stepped to the side, grabbed Toki's outstretched arm in a tight grip, turned 90 degrees, and used his other hand to help throw Toki onto his back on the mat in a classic judo move.

The loud gymnasium went quiet immediately as everyone gaped at the supposed wallflower who had just floored one of the meanest people in the entire school.

As Takato straightened up and fixed up his mussed up clothes, he could clearly hear people whispering around him.

"When did Matsuki learn to do that?"

"Did you see what he just did!"

"When Toki gets up, Matsuki is as good as done for."

Takato didn't much care for the comments; he was just surprised he'd actually managed to pull that off. It was almost as if instinct had taken over when he used that maneuver.

He was about to turn to walk away when Toki got up, seething.

"SON OF A BITCH!" Toki screamed, aiming a punch at Takato, eyes blazing with uncontrolled anger. Instinct took over once more as Takato caught Toki's fist and sent an upper cut Toki's way, hitting him in the jaw and causing him to fall back on the mat.

"It's over, Toki." Takato said calmly before walking away. However, what happened next was anything but what Takato had expected.

"That wimp cheated! He started before Mr. Chiba said 'go!'" one boy, a clear supporter of Toki, cried out in rage.

"There's no way Matsuki could have beat Toki; he must have cheated." another boy said, and soon all the boys, except Kazu, Kenta and Henry were voicing the same opinion about Takato.

Takato listened helplessly, knowing that there was no way he could prove that he hadn't cheated without revealing that he worked for Hypnos, and as he listened, the darkness in his heart could only grow stronger.

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Things are beginning to heat up. I hope you all liked this chapter. I'll post as soon as I can. Please R&R.


	6. Birthright

Hey everyone. Sorry it took me so long to post, I had to complete this seven week science program and I'm finally finished and I can't help but feel really pleased that I'm almost free. I promise to make up for the delay with better chapters. I'm slowly getting out of my writer's block. Mostly, I was having trouble with things about the tournament, which will be in a few chapters and I thank you all for your suggestions. I'm glad you're all interested enough in this story to provide me with suggestions.

zerodragon: you know, it's odd, but I already had planned to provide the Legendary Tamers with weapons so that they could fight alongside their digimon. I guess we think alike, ne?

steelfether11: the idea does seem plausible, but the sovereigns are the allies of the tamers. Otherwise, it's a pretty good idea. Thanks for giving me your suggestion.

A Minor Pentatonic: you seem to have analyzed the story pretty well. Thanks for your insight.

Jimbo Jones: that's not a bad idea. I've been trying think of just how fast I wanted the story to progress at once, but I think it's time for Ultimate to turn up. I guess you and a few others agree with that sentiment.

Blue Bragon: As you said, many people enjoy Dark Takato, and I might bring him out, for a small amount of time. I've been considering just how far I'll bring out the darkness.

Watcher Complex: thanks for the suggestion, it might be a good idea for some time after the tourney. at least something like that. thanks for the suggestion.

possom2009: a lot of people seem to like the idea of Artemis and Takato getting together. I might make something out of that, but you'll just have to see how their relationship turns out.

takari freek: it is a nice idea, kind of like giving a sample of what they really will be facing in the future, ne? hehe, glad for your suggestion.

Tsukiakari-hoshi: Henry's role has yet to be fully established. I assure all of you, his importance will come up soon enough. Henry will be an involved character.

matn90: i like your idea, it seems very interesting and might add some nice twists to the plot, hehe. Thanks for the suggestion, I'll consider it.

Thanks again for all of your awesome suggestions. I'm glad you're enjoying this story.

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Chapter 6Birthright

It had been two weeks since the fateful martial arts day and word had spread all through the school, making Takato an even bigger outcast than he had been before. The only ones who spoke to him at school were Rika, Artemis, Henry, Kazu, Kenta and Jeri.

Rika was personally outraged by everyone's assumptions and she was the only reason why Takato was left unharmed.

Takato learned to ignore all the jeers that came his way and distracted himself by training as hard as he could and solidifying his bond with Guilmon, whom he was becoming closer to with every passing day.

One day, the four Legendary Tamers were brought before Yamaki who said he had something for them.

"The Sovereigns have decided it's time to give you your birthright." Yamaki stated and the four Tamers looked confused.

"Our birthright?" Ryo repeated in confusion. "What do you mean by that?" Yamaki just smiled at them mysteriously.

"You'll see." he said as he opened the small wooden case he had with him. In it were twelve small things that looked similar to the crests from the digimon TV show. Beside them were twelve tags connected to gold chains. Then Yamaki opened the large briefcase beside the small case to reveal a magnificent white bow with a quiver of silver-tipped arrows, a bronze wakazashi, a tanto with a silver hilt studded with sapphires, a set of five shuriken with amethysts embedded in them, a kodachi with an emerald-studded hilt, and a katana with a gold hilt with rubies embedded in them.

The four Tamers gasped immediately and stared down at the weapons and crests in awe.

"These items are your birthright." Yamaki said. "They've been created specifically for you, even before you were born."

"But how is that possible? Are you insinuating that we were destined to be Legendary Tamers from the start?" Artemis asked out of curiosity, her blue eyes wide in astonishment.

"According to the Sovereigns anyway." Yamaki answered. "They won't give me many details. They say I must give you time to adjust to everything first. Now, I'll distribute your crests, both the Light and the Dark."

"Crests, like the ones from the digimon TV show? They're real?" Takato asked in shock and surprise. "What do you mean Light and Dark?"

"Each of you have two crests, one Light and one Dark. That's why there are so many crests." Riley answered for Yamaki. "Tally and I will pass them out."

"The Light crest of Independence." Tally said out loud, holding out a teal colored crest with a staff and sword crossed together in an X formation. The crest and corresponding tag glowed and floated into Rika's hands. She looked at it with a hint of pride and slid it onto her neck.

"The Light crest of Purity." Riley said, lifting out a baby blue crest with a picture of a lily flower on it. The tag and crest immediately went to Artemis, who looked both surprised and pleased as she placed it around her neck.

"The Light Crest of Determination." Tally declared holding out a bluish silver crest with a shield like WarGreymon's on it. This crest and tag went to Ryo, who put it on with obvious smugness.

"And finally, the Light crest of Balance belongs to Takato." Riley concluded as a gold crest with a pair of scales on it flew into Takato's hands. Takato looked slightly confused about it as he placed it around his neck. After all, what did balance have to do with him?

"I hope you all understand why you've received these particular crests." Yamaki said calmly. "Now it's time for you to receive your Dark crests." The four Tamers looked weary at those words.

"Must we?" Artemis asked softly, not entirely enthusiastic to see what her dark trait was. The three Hypnos officials nodded immediately.

"The Dark crest of Intimidation." Riley stated and a dark blue crest with a picture of a scythe on it. It went to Rika immediately and she placed it around her neck without a word. She didn't seem too surprised and neither were the others.

"The Dark crest of Bitterness." Tally said, pulling out a dark gray crest with a serpent picture on it. This crest flew over to Ryo, who looked bewildered as he placed it around his neck.

"The Dark crest of Despair." Riley went on, holding up a platinum crest with a picture of a storm on it. It went to Artemis, who looked both sad and understanding, as she placed the crest around her neck.

"… And the Dark crest of Chaos belongs to Takato." Tally said in a grim voice as a blood red crest with what looked like a fusion of the hazard symbol on Guilmon's chest and a triangle surrounded by three other triangles levitated off the table and flew into Takato's stunned hands.

"Chaos?" he repeated in confusion. It didn't make sense to him how his two crests seemed to be polar opposites. He didn't even know how they reflected him, though he knew there was a faint hint of truth in the selection.

"In time you'll grow to understand why these crests chose you, but until then, I suggest you try to understand yourselves better than what you already understand. Now, it's time for you to receive the other part of your birthright." Yamaki said, gesturing to the weapons. "Pick the one that seems to call out to you the most."

Takato decided to go first and felt himself drawn to the katana, Ryo picked up the tanto, Rika selected the shuriken, and Artemis instinctively chose the bow and arrow.

Almost instantly, they were covered in their own particular auras: Ryo's aura was silver, Rika's was blue, Artemis' was pure white, and Takato's was a reddish gold color.

Yamaki smirked at this turn of events, satisfied. He nodded at the four of them and observed them silently.

"As predicted, you selected the weapons that were specifically designed for you. You didn't need any guidance to see what belonged to you. You've met every expectation we've had for you so far, and I commend you for it." Yamaki said.

"Yamaki-san, why do we have weapons anyway? Why do we need them if we have the digimon?" Takato queried in confusion. Yamaki smirked again while turning to Ryo.

"Ryo, since you've been with us for the longest time, mind explaining the real responsibility of a Tamer to Takato?" the Hypnos official requested and Ryo nodded.

"A Tamer not only helps give his partner the strength to battle but he was also do everything in his power to protect his partner like his partner protects him, or her, in the case of Artemis and Rika." Ryo explained.

"Nice save, Akiyama." Rika complimented with a smirk.

"As Ryo said, the Tamer will need to fight with his partner, that's where the weapons come in. From now on, the four of you will train with these weapons, you need to get used to them and be capable of fighting digimon with them. The holy energy of these weapons will help bring out your supernatural abilities as the Legendary Tamers." Yamaki said. "At least that's what the Sovereigns told me anyway. You're dismissed."

"Yes, sir." the four of them said together and they left, taking their weapons and crests with them. As they left, each of them felt as if something wasn't quite right with the entire birthright thing, but only Artemis consciously realized what it was.

'_Why are there six sets of crests and weapons instead of four? Are there more Legendary Tamers in Japan?_' she thought.

She didn't know that the Hypnos officials were puzzling over the same thing.

"We thought there would be only five, the fifth is supposedly hiding himself from everybody. Then how come there are six sets?" Riley asked her employer in confusion. Yamaki just looked grim.

"I don't know, but I guess we'll find out soon enough." he said, while deep in thought.


	7. Another New Student

Hey everyone. I've got another chapter, but it's not the tournament just yet. That's coming up soon enough. I want to thank all of you for your reviews and your suggestions, especially WatcherComplex. You seemed to have put a lot of thought into that idea. Since school has started about a month ago, I've been pretty busy, but I'll try not to leave too big of a delay between chapters.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, sadly, but I do own Artemis and Toki.

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Chapter 7Yet Another New Student

Almost a month had passed since the four Legendary Tamers had received their birthright and they were training like crazy. As it turned out, the four of them had a knack for using their respective weapons and they had made great progress. Most of the time, they fought against their own partners, for their weapons weren't exactly suited for going against each other.

At the moment, Ryo and Rika were observing Takato and Artemis as they fought a tag team battle against Growlmon and Piddomon.

"They're not doing too shabby." Ryo remarked with a small smile on his face as he saw Takato block Piddomon's staff with his katana and then use the angel digimon to propel himself back to Artemis' side. Once he landed beside her, Artemis shot a couple of arrows at Piddomon's feet, which immediately created a paralysis spell that knocked the digimon on his knees and out of the match. Now only Growlmon stood against them.

Growlmon shot out at them with his tail, but what he hadn't expected them to do was dodge the attack by jumping onto his tail and climbing onto his shoulders. Once they did that, Takato slammed the blunt end of his katana into the side of Growlmon's neck and the dragon fell to his knees, signaling the end of the match.

"Well done, Takato and Artemis. Your teamwork is nearly flawless. You've already become incredibly valuable members to the team just in the short month or two you've been with us. You are to be commended." Yamaki complimented, pleased with their progress.

"Thank you, sir." they said together with triumphant grins on their faces. They walked out of the arena after checking up on their digimon and met up with Rika and Ryo.

"Nice work, the both of you. You've definitely improved." Ryo stated as they walked out of Hypnos together.

"It's been awfully peaceful lately, hasn't it? There's only been a couple of bio-emergences in the entire month, do you think they're finally beginning to cease?" Takato remarked after a bit of thought. Artemis shook her head.

"No, this is only the calm before the storm. I have a hunch that something big is happening, I just don't know what it is." she said grimly.

This statement haunted all four Tamers throughout the day and well into the next as Takato and Artemis entered the school, ignoring the glares pointed Takato's way and the love-sick ones focused on Artemis.

"What do you think will happen now, Artemis?" Takato asked, looking at the girl solemnly.

"I don't know, Takato. All I know is that we have to be on guard at all times." Artemis answered. Takato nodded in agreement.

As they walked into the classroom, they immediately noticed someone new, standing in the front with Ms. Asaji.

The boy had shoulder length blonde hair and startling green eyes, looking very much like a foreigner. He was about 6 feet tall, just about Takato's height, if not a little taller. He had a lean build, giving him an appearance that many of the girls in the class were giggling over in excitement, except for Artemis and Jeri.

As Takato and Artemis finally took their seats, Ms. Asaji started speaking.

"As luck would have it, we have yet another transfer student joining us. This is Makoto Kiriya. He moved to America when he was seven from his hometown of Kyoto. He and his family have just recently moved back to Japan." Ms. Asaji said. "What is it, Nikki?" she asked when she noted a girl raising her hand.

"I have a question for Makoto, if it's not asking too much. If you're real nationality is Japanese, why do you look like a foreigner?" Nikki asked curiously. Makoto smiled genially.

"You're not asking too much at all, I look like a foreigner because my mom is American and I got most of my looks from her." he explained.

"Are there any more questions for Mr. Kiriya?" Ms. Asaji asked before nodding in satisfaction when no hands raised. "You may sit behind Ms. Winthrop over there, Mr. Kiriya. I'm sure she'd like to show you around the school. Is that okay with you, Ms. Winthrop?"

"It's not a problem." Artemis assured the teacher as Makoto came and sat down behind Artemis and Takato.

"Okay everyone, we'll be learning about the Meiji era of Japan today and so I want you all to break into small groups of six to discuss what you already know about the era. After thirty minutes, we'll discuss as a class what you know and add to it." Ms. Asaji said.

Immediately, three of the girls, Akiko, Nikki and Hanata, and two of the boys, Jiro and Kyo, snatched Makoto. At the same time, Kazu, Kenta, Henry and Jeri paired up with Artemis and Takato.

In the middle of the group discussions, Jiro caught sight of Makoto watching Artemis and Takato curiously.

"Artemis is a real babe, isn't she? Practically every boy in class likes her, but the only boy she ever talks to is that loser, Takato. I don't know what she sees in him, I mean he's a total dork and he even cheated in a martial arts match against one of the most popular kids in school. I mean, what nerve." Jiro said derisively, he was one of Toki's supporters, or in other terms, another spoiled rich kid. Makoto frowned.

"Cheating in a martial arts match? Now that is low." he said. The other stuff they said about Takato didn't matter to him, but considering he took honor in the martial arts very seriously, the "cheating" struck a chord with him.

After history class was done with, Makoto, Takato and Artemis were all walking towards their next class. That was when Makoto spoke out.

"So you're the guy who cheated in the martial arts thing in P.E., aren't you?" Makoto asked nonchalantly. Takato stiffened.

"I don't see how that incident concerns you, Kiriya-san." Takato replied coolly while continuing to walk. He didn't even look at Makoto.

"My father owns a martial arts dojo, and we're big on honor. Seeing someone so blatantly destroy that honor just rubs me the wrong way." Makoto answered, this time it was Artemis who answered.

"That's enough, Kiriya. Don't judge somebody on something when you don't even have all of the facts!" Artemis said hotly. "You don't know Takato, and the way you're talking, you never will!"

Makoto tried to get in a word in, stunned by how fiery the normally kind-hearted girl could be, but Artemis didn't give him a chance.

"Takato is like a brother to me and no one here knows him as well as I do, simply because they never gave him a chance. If you're going to be like them, then fine, but besides the fact that I'm leading you around school, there will be no room for friendship between us." Artemis said icily before stalking off, taking a stunned Takato along with her. Makoto followed silently, while pondering what she said.

"That could have gone better." he groaned to himself.

"Yeah, it could have. You were a bit strong there, partner." a voice said from behind him, and Makoto turned to see his partner digimon, Gabumon.

"Gabumon, what are you doing here? You're supposed to be outside with all the other digimon." Makoto said in a reprimanding tone.

"I know, but I saw that girl yelling at you from the window and decided maybe you needed someone to talk too. You messed up, no offense. Remember, hell hath no fury than a woman scorned." Gabumon said. Makoto nodded.

"Right, now I suggest you leave, I don't want you to get caught." the boy said as he continued to follow Artemis.

That day during lunch, Takato, Artemis and Rika were eating together as usual when Toki, Jiro, and a few others came over.

"What do you want?" Rika snapped angrily. Toki sneered at her in response.

"We want revenge on the little bastard. He's been hiding behind you and Artemis for too long now. This time, you won't be able to stop us." Toki jeered.

"What makes you think that?" Rika shot back, with narrowed eyes.

"A whore like you don't have a right to face us. After all, you're unwanted. Your own father left you because he didn't want you, leaving you and your bitch of a mother alone." Toki taunted. Rika went red, both hurt and angry. What happened next was the thing that set Takato off, Rika began to cry, tears of both anger and sorrow.

Takato's eyes flashed gold and stayed that way, and the hazard signs appeared on his wrists as well. He stood up and glared dangerously at Toki.

"You went too far, Narita." he snarled, stalking forward. Toki just smirked.

"Oh yeah, what are you going to do about it?" Toki scoffed cockily. His smirk faded however as Takato suddenly moved forward and lifted Toki off his feet in a few seconds flat. "Yo, let go."

"Not until you say sorry." Takato growled angrily.

"Why should I?" Toki retorted and Takato was about to hit Toki when Artemis stopped him.

"Takato, the teachers are coming." Artemis warned. Takato scowled and let go of Toki.

"We'll finish this later." Takato said in a promising tone as Toki and his friends stalked off. Calming down, Takato turned to Rika. "Daijobou, Rika?" he asked in concern.

Rika nodded. "I'm fine. That asshole just better watch his bent up back. He's going to wish he never messed with me." her hurt gone with only anger left, Rika's voice came out venomously.

Artemis nodded. "Believe it, Rika. We'll get him back." she said, supporting her friend. Takato nodded in agreement.

He felt something warm against his chest and while investigating, he found that the crest of Chaos was glowing a bright red color. His eyes widened but he didn't mention this to Artemis and Rika as he placed it back in its hiding place.

None of them noticed Makoto watching them out of the corner of his eye curiously.

'_What was that all about?_' he thought to himself before going back to his food.


	8. Tournament part 1

Hey, I'm back with another chapter. I know you all want me to post more often, and I'll try my best. College application deadlines are coming fast, so haven't had much time. I also have been working on another story that is well on its way now. I'll most likely post it up once i get this story stabilized. As for all of you with your suggestions, thanks. They are greatly appreciated and i'll keep them in mind. A lot of you didn't appear to like Makoto too much... I hope this chapter and the following ones help clear things up.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, or the song, _Sticks and Stones_ by Aly and AJ. I own Artemis WInthrop, Toki Narita, Makoto Kiriya, and Jiro Katsuya.

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Chapter 8Festival

The day of the festival finally came and everyone was excited about it, especially about the digimon tournament.

A certain red-eyed boy stood out among all the other teenagers because of his four companions. Two of them were pretty redheads and the other two were their digimon partners, Lucemon and Renamon.

"So you'll be entering the tournament, Takato?" Artemis asked quietly as they walked down the pathway. The boy nodded.

"I guess I want to see how I stand against the other Tamers, not just the Legendary Tamers." Takato admitted with a smile.

"Reasonable enough, you're going to have to hide your identity though." Rika said. "With this new threat, Yamaki would prefer it for at least your identity to be kept a secret. That way, the rogue digimon can't attack you. They've never seen you face to face before. If the other Tamers find out your identity, the news is bound to leak into the Digital World."

"That's why I've come up with a disguise. There's no rule in the tournament saying that your identity must be known. They don't mind anonymity. They believe it adds to the excitement." Takato replied with a triumphant grin.

"You're fortunate for that." Artemis said with a giggle. "Now I've got to leave to go to the rehearsal hall, last minute preparations for the talent competition are coming up."

"Good luck, Artemis." Takato said as the redhead left in a hurry.

"So what do you want to do now, Goggles?" Rika asked as they wandered past the booths.

"Do you want to get something to eat before heading off for the talent competition?" Takato suggested and Rika nodded in agreement.

"Let's go." she said and they headed off for the nearest food booth. Takato was surprised to see that Jeri was helping sell the food, but then he remembered that she had volunteered for it.

"Hey Jeri, how are you?" he asked while looking at the different options for food. He didn't notice Jeri's cheeks go slightly pink as he asked.

"I'm fine, what about you?" she replied, and Takato grimaced.

"I could be better." he admitted, thinking of all the people glaring at him from behind his back. Jeri gave him a reassuring smile.

"Don't worry Takato, I'm sure things will get better. You know you always have us, right?" she stated and Takato nodded with a smile.

"I know, Jeri, thanks for the support." he said before giving his order. "I'll have some takoyaki, please."

"I'll have the rice cakes." Rika added and Jeri got the mentioned orders while calculating the price of the food.

After paying, the two Legendary Tamers thanked Jeri and walked away. The entire time, Rika was smirking.

"Why are you looking at me like that?" Takato asked nervously.

"You like Jeri, don't you?" Rika interrogated and Takato immediately blushed.

"W-what makes you think that?" he shot back in embarrassment, getting redder with every passing second. Rika's smirk just got wider.

"Your face is good enough proof to me, besides the way you act around is far different than how you act around any other girl." Rika stated matter-of-factly. "Now let's go, Artemis will be coming up soon in the talent show."

Once they finally reached the arena where the talent competition would be held, Rika turned to Takato.

"Let's go backstage to wish Artemis luck." Rika said and Takato nodded in agreement.

"Let's go, I know she'd appreciate the support." he replied and they walked in, ignoring the strange looks they received from the other contestants.

Artemis looked surprised once they arrived, but they knew she was pleased to see them by the bright smile on her face.

"What are you guys doing here?" she asked curiously.

"We came to wish you luck, have fun out there, okay?" Takato told her with a warm grin reserved only for the girl who was like a sister to him.

"I will, just make sure to watch, okay Takato? This song is especially significant for you." Artemis said with a slightly mysterious smile before walking away. Takato was confused.

"What did she mean by that?" he asked Rika, who only shrugged.

"I guess we'll see when she sings." she replied nonchalantly and they walked back out and into the crowd.

As they stood in the audience, watching the different students show off their different skills, Takato caught sight of Makoto in the crowd, watching the contestants intently, seemingly unaware of anything else.

'_It's almost as if he's waiting for something in particular, or someone._' Takato thought to himself with a hint of confusion before looking back at the talent competition.

Finally, it was Artemis' turn, and everyone seemed particularly interested as the popular foreigner walked out on the stage, looking slightly nervous. She looked over at her friends and smiled as she took in their reassuring smiles.

"I'm going to sing a song that I'm sure many people can relate to, especially a select few of you. I hope you enjoy it." she said congenially into the microphone. Taking a deep breath, she began to sing.

_Sitting in my room  
Feeling sorry for myself  
I can't feel worse  
Well, what else?  
I wonder what I could say_

_To stop the voices, taunting, and laughing  
The way they're acting I wish they'd just disappear  
The joke is always on me  
It's always on me_

Takato took in a deep breath of his own as he listened to the words of the song. She was right, many people could relate to it, especially him.

_Why don't they understand  
That we are all the same  
And we all feel lost at time  
Why don't they understand  
That someone else's pain  
Is not for gain _

_Sticks and stones won't break my soul  
Get out of the way, I'm invincible  
Throw them down_

_'Cause the one you want's not around,_

_not around  
It's not your place  
Honestly _

_In the end  
You'll be the victim  
You're the one who has to live with yourself  
And when you're reaching for help  
There'll be no one  
There's no one _

_Why don't you understand  
That we are all the same  
And we all feel lost at times  
Why don't you understand  
That someone else's pain  
Is not for gain_

By this time, everyone was clapping and swaying along with the music, enjoying the great singer's song. Even Rika and Takato were moving slightly to the beat. Ryo, wasn't even trying to hide it, as he quickly pulled Rika to him and started dancing… Until Rika smacked him across the head to make him stop.

_Sticks and stones won't break my soul  
Get out of the way, I'm invincible  
Throw them down  
'Cause the one you want's not around, not around  
Not around, not around  
It's not your place  
Honestly _

_I won't live in chains  
I've got something to give  
I won't play these games  
Yeah, I'd rather live  
You know I've come too far  
To be like you are _

_Why don't you understand  
That we are all the same _

_Sticks and stones won't break my soul  
Get out of the way, I'm invincible  
Throw them down _

_La la la la  
La la la la  
la la la la, la la la _

_Throw them down_

'Cause the one you want's not around, not around  
Not around, not around  
Not around, anymore  
It's not your place  
Honestly 

After Artemis finished singing, everybody's clapping intensified and they began cheering loudly for an encore. Artemis blushed modestly at their apparent appreciation as she quickly denied the request for her to do another song. She had to be prepared for the digimon tournament.

When she joined Takato, Rika and Ryo, she hugged them all tightly.

"You were great out there!" Takato complimented her, beaming as they settled down to watch the rest of the talent show.

"Thanks, I tried my best." Artemis admitted while taking her seat next to Lucemon.

"Everybody loved you, which is no surprise considering you've got a great voice." Lucemon praised his Tamer with a bright smile.

"I'm glad they enjoyed it." Artemis said before looking at her watch. "Shouldn't we be getting ready for the digimon tournament?"

At the reminder, Takato panicked.

"Crap, I still have to get Guilmon and go get into my disguise. I'll meet you in fifteen minutes." he told his friends before running off.

"This should be an interesting tournament." Rika smirked. Thatw as when she noticed Makoto passing by with Gabumon.

"He's a Tamer too? Damn." Artemis groaned, before a mysterious smile appeared on her face. "On the other hand, that's a good thing. I'll get to see if he can put action to his words. I'll show that "martial artist" just what a proper fight is like."

"Go for it." Rika encouraged. "Show him what we Legendary Tamers are all about." Artemis nodded with a determined look on her face.

An hour later, everybody was surrounding the fighting arena where the digimon and their Tamers would be fighting.

"Welcome everyone to the first annual digimon tournament! Every Tamer is welcome to join and they've all signed up, either by their real names or by a pseudonym, just in case they wish not to be identified." the announcer declared.

The audience cheered in excitement and the announcer began to speak again.

"Okay, it's time for the first round. There are fourteen contestants. The pairings are: Toki Narita vs. Kenta Kitagawa, Kazu Shiota vs. Rika Nonaka, Ryo Akiyama vs. Jeri Katou, Artemis Winthrop vs. Jiro Katsuya, Henry Wong vs. Suzie Wong, Makoto Kiriya vs. Keiichi Takane, Shin Kanbara vs. Noah Richardson and Senya Tsukino vs. Nyx." the announcer informed everyone.

Immediately, everyone began talking loudly about the pairings.

"Henry has to go against his own sister!" Kazu said in shock.

"Who's Nyx?" another student questioned, looking intrigued.

"This has got to be interesting! The normal Tamers can actually take their shot at the Legendary Tamers! This is going to be hot!" Nikki said excitedly.

Henry and Suzie looked at each other in shock. They had acknowledge the possibility of having to face each other in battle, but they hadn't really thought they'd have to face each other so soon.

"Nii-san, I don't want you to go easy on me, okay? Give me all you've got." Suzie said with determination in her eyes.

They were the first pairing to be called, so they slowly made their way to the arena.

"Good luck, you two." Jaarin and Rinchei called out to their siblings.

"You know the rules, nobody can go past Champion level, now begin!" the announcer declared.

Upon signal, Terriermon and Lopmon attacked each other.

"Bunny Blast!" Terriermon yelled, sending out green pellets at his sister digimon.

"Blazing Ice!" Lopmon countered, the two attacks canceling each other out. Seeing as their special attacks weren't doing any good, the rabbit duo resorted to physical fighting.

"This is just pathetic. Two pipsqueaks going against each other!" Jiro said derisively as he walked up to Rika and Artemis. They glared at him.

"Sometimes power comes in small packages, Katsuya." Artemis said coldly, glaring at the disrespectful boy, who only scoffed.

"Whatever you say, babe, but you know I'm right." he said and Artemis bristled.

"Call me that again, fool, and you'll lose your head." Artemis threatened, eyes cool as ice.

"Come on, babe, you know you want me." Jiro sneered, reaching for her, but he never got to her as someone grabbed his wrists. It was Makoto.

"Leave her alone, Jiro. She's not interested." Makoto said, frowning. Jiro glared at him, but relented.

"See you later, babe." Jiro sneered at Artemis before stalking off.

"That guy ticks me off." Artemis said, showing her rarely seen temper. "I can't wait to defeat him in this match."

"I'm sure you'll do just fine against him, Artemis." Makoto told her. She nodded her in thanks for the compliment, but she said little else.

"I'm grateful that you helped me, but don't think this changes anything." Artemis told him coolly before walking away with Rika and Ryo, leaving an exasperated Makoto behind.

Back in the fight, Terriermon and Lopmon had digivolved to Gargomon and Turuiemon.

"Gargo Laser!" Gargomon yelled, pummeling Turuiemon with his green ammo. Turuiemon grunted in pain, before trying to attack Gargomon.

"_Digimodify_! Speed Activate!" Henry yelled and Gargomon quickly avoided the attack with enhanced speed. Henry then came up with a quick follow-up. "_Digimodify_! Myotismon's Crimson Lightning Activate!"

"Crimson Lightning!" Gargomon yelled and the red blast of energy hit Turuiemon and downed her. Turuiemon tried to get up but she ended up de-digivolving back into Lopmon.

"Lopmon!" Suzie cried out, running to her worn out partner and picking her up. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Suzie. I'm sorry I lost." Lopmon apologized. Suzie shook her head.

"That doesn't matter. As long as you're okay, that's all that matters. What kind of Tamer would I be if I worried more about winning the competition over your own welfare?" Suzie said.

"Wise words, Suzie. Remember them." Henry said as he walked over, offering his hand to Suzie to bring her back to her feet. "That was a great battle, Suzie. You gave me quite a challenge."

"Thanks, Nii-san." Suzie replied with a warm smile and the two siblings walked out of the arena with genial smiles on their faces. Jeri sighed in relief.

"That's good. Suzie lost but they managed to keep a stable relationship." she said. "I'm happy for them."

"As are we." Kenta said, before looking around. "Hey, where's Takato. I thought for sure he'd be here."

"That is funny. Takato loves digimon, why would he skip out on this. Maybe he doesn't want to be reminded that he doesn't have a digimon…" Kazu suggested.

"I'm not sure he's entirely bothered by that anymore, Kazu." Jeri argued softly, looking doubtful of Kazu's assertion. However, Kenta seemed to agree with Kazu.

"Takato spent two years moping over the fact that he didn't have a digimon. What would make him stop caring now? It can't be that he got a digimon because the only digimon that have appeared lately are rogue digimon." Kenta reasoned.

"No offense to Takato, but it's kind of pathetic the way he acted during that time. I mean, he should have just got over it." Kazu said, and Jeri began protesting.

"You shouldn't talk about Takato that way, Kazu! He's one of our friends." Jeri reprimanded.

"I know, but I'm just saying it as it is." Kazu answered.

He didn't know that just a little away from them was someone who was not very happy with what had been said by his childhood friends about himself.

'_They don't understand why I was upset. Hell, I didn't really understand it until I met Guilmon._' Takato thought, safely hidden by his disguise. He knew that they were only saying what they believed to be true, but that didn't make their words any less hurtful. He was grateful to Jeri for sticking up for him though.

The battles continued until Ryo, Rika, Toki, Shin and Makoto had joined Henry on the way to the next round. There were only two battles left.

"Next up is Artemis Winthrop versus Jiro Katsuya." the announcer declared, and Artemis walked up with her head held high to face off against the arrogant teenager.

"You're going down, babe. There's no way a girl like you can beat me." Jiro sneered confidently. Artemis' eyes just narrowed.

"Just watch me." she answered as Lucemon and DemiDevimon took their posts in the arena.

When the bell rang, DemiDevimon took the first offense.

"Demi Dart!" DemiDevimon yelled, shooting a couple of black darts towards Lucemon, who dodged them easily.

"Is that all you've got? Give me at least a bit more of a challenge." Lucemon called back, getting pay back for all the derogatory comments Jiro had sent Artemis' way.

"Shut up, angel boy." DemiDevimon retorted. "Jiro, let's bring this to the next level and really shake things up!"

"Looks like we've got the same idea, partner." Jiro smirked. '_Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!_"

"DemiDevimon Digivolve to… Devimon!"

"A fallen angel digimon… How ironic." Artemis commented with a thoughtful look. "Going to Champion level won't help you much. We can do that too. _Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!_"

"Lucemon Digivolve to… Piddomon!"

"This is just like the battle between Devimon and Angemon, except it's a Piddomon, who looks like Angemon except for the pink scarf." Kazu said, sounding ecstatic at the prospect of the battle.

"I've got to agree with you on that one, Kazu. For once." Henry said, looking fascinated, ignoring Kazu's offended cry.

"Fire Feather!" Piddomon cried, taking the offensive for the first time in that match. The fire spheres grazed Devimon's body, but they didn't faze him too bad.

"You're good, but that by itself won't help you defeat me." Devimon said in his eerie voice.

"We'll see." Piddomon answered calmly, staying on his guard.

"Touch of Evil!" Devimon yelled, slashing at Piddomon with his claws, which were glowing with dark energy. Piddomon grunted in pain, his chest flickering in and out from the painful blow.

"Piddomon! Are you okay?" Artemis asked, worried for her partner.

"I'm fine, it was just a minor hit." Piddomon assured his Tamer, who still remained worried.

Artemis glanced around the audience, trying to calm her nerves when she caught sight of a very welcome figure, watching her intently. She couldn't see his face, but she knew he was as supportive as ever.

Getting an idea, Artemis took out two cards and prepared to slash them through her D-Arc.

"_Digimodify! Power Activate! Digimodify! Hyper Speed Activate!_" Artemis cried, giving Piddomon more strength and agility, just enough for him to create an attack that was sure to down Devimon.

"Apollo Tornado!" Piddomon yelled, creating a massive tornado that caught Devimon in its hold and tossed him around like a rag doll with brutal force.

Devimon finally was slammed into the arena roughly and he regressed back into DemiDevimon.

Jiro looked more outraged than concerned for his partner as he glared at Artemis. She only gave him a triumphant smirk.

"I told you that I wouldn't be easy to beat." Artemis said to him while going over to congratulate her partner.

"Wow, in an amazingly quick battle, the British Legendary Tamer managed to defeat Jiro Katsuya! She will continue to the next part of the competition while Mr. Katsuya will get a consolation prize for his efforts." the announcer declared.

Humiliated, Jiro decided that he wouldn't leave until he got the last laugh.

"You'll be sorry you messed with me, _babe_." he sneered as he stalked towards Artemis, and, before she could do anything, groped her. Hard.

Jiro would live to regret that move as he suddenly found himself on the receiving end of a powerful blow at the hands of a very enraged cloaked figure. The punch was so hard that Jiro literally flew off the arena and onto the ground below.

At this point, the entire audience went dead quiet as they stared in stunned silence at the figure who stood before them with his digimon partner. The digimon they easily recognized as the partner who belonged to the only Tamer who had yet to show his face in public view.

The third Japanese Legendary Tamer was out in front of them at last.


	9. Tournament part 2

Hey everyone. I'm sorry it took me such a long time to finally post this chapter. I faced some pretty hectic times with school becoming harder and the increase in the amount of college applications i had to fill out. i finally managed to get the inspiration I needed to get out of my slight writer's block. I'm proud to say this is one of the longest chapters I've written yet for this story, so I hope you enjoy it. I apologise in advance for any cliche or OOC moments, I did the best I could.

**Cardinel**: Thank you so much, your words means a lot. I'm happy this story seems to catch your interest.

**the inflated ego express**: Thanks, Rei. Your input just about made my day when I got that review. I hope this chapter meets your liking.

**Firehedgehog**: I tried to describe Takato's outfit the best way I could, hopefully it's enough. If you do end up drawing it, I'd like to see.

**Ligerxt5**: Thanks for pointing that out. I really should have taken Takato's location into mind and mentioned it. As for the new story, it's going to be a digimon/detective conan (case closed) crossover, which takes place six years after the D-Reaper incident. Rachel, Kazuha and Aoko get kidnapped by a guy known as the Dark Prince who is taking over the Digital World, so Takato, Conan, Heiji, Kaitou Kid, Hakuba, Akako and Ai go to the other world to save them. Four of them will become Tamers, and there will be three other special Tamers, known as the Guardian Tamers. Their importance will be explained in the story itself. I hope this is a good enough description, I'm not all that great with summaries.

**WatcherComplex**: you seem to have a very strong opinion about Artemis, which I'm happy about. Means I've developed her character in the right way. As for the question as to why I called Takato Nyx, it's because as mentioned earlier in the story, he hides in the shadows. Nyx was the greek goddess of the shadows/darkness. Yes, I know Takato's a boy, but I thought the nickname would be fitting for him.

**PersonalJXT**: you made a valid point about Lucemon. Generally, he's supposed to be more powerful than a normal Rookie. But I thought, for practical reasons, that he should be like a normal Rookie. It fits the plot line better.

Thank you all for the input, and I apologize again for the long wait. I also want to mention that it has become certain that this story _will not_ be a Takato/Jeri story. I've found that I dislike the pairing now. I can't even tolerate it any more. As for who Takato ends up being with, I'll leave the guessing to you. Merry Christmas everyone.

Disclaimer: I regretably do not own Digimon, but I do own Toki, Jiro, and my sister owns Artemis and Makoto.

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Chapter 9

People broke out into whispers, staring at the cloaked figure in pure awe. The cloak itself was red with black and gold lining, the symbol of the Digital Hazard marking the back and the Catalyst symbol was at its side. His front was uncovered by the cloak, as it seemed almost like a hooded cape. He wore a red sleeveless shirt with a black vest over it, black leather pants and black boots, making him seem sort of dark and mysterious as his face was hidden by the hood.

"It's him! I don't believe that he's actually here!" one of the audience members exclaimed.

"He may be here, but he's not showing his face. What is it that he wants to hide?" another person asked in suspicion.

"Nyx" ignored everything everybody was saying about him as he made sure that Artemis was perfectly okay.

"That bastard is going to pay for touching you." Nyx grumbled, glaring at a bruised and beaten Jiro.

"I think you've punished him enough…" Artemis said and Nyx gave her a skeptical look. Then Artemis gave him an impish smile. "It's my turn now."

Nyx grinned under his cloak as Artemis rushed off to give Jiro a piece of her mind.

"That's my girl." he said affectionately before the announcer began speaking.

"In a stunning display of a Legendary Tamer's power, Artemis Winthrop defeated Jiro Katsuya, only to be violated through underhanded means. Thankfully, Nyx appears to be watching over his fellow Legendary Tamer. He appears to be ready to participate in his own match, so without further ado, Senya Tsukino, please come to the arena." the announcer called out.

A fifteen year old boy with mousy brown hair and blue eyes walked into the arena with an Agumon, looking nervous.

"Ganbatte, Tsukino-kun." Nyx told the boy as he gestured for Guilmon to prepare for battle.

"Same to you, Nyx-sempai." Senya replied, earning a bright smile from the Legendary Tamer.

"Looks like this will be a battle between dinosaurs. Keep your eyes open, folks, for this ought to be a battle you wouldn't want to miss. Ready, set, FIGHT!" the announcer yelled.

Guilmon made the first move as he rushed forward with his claws raised.

"Rock Breaker!" the red saurian digimon cried as flames erupted from his claws as he swiped at Agumon. The orange digimon quickly dodged.

"Come on, Agumon! You're smaller and faster, you can beat him." Senya encouraged.

"Pepper Breath!" Agumon shouted, sending an orange fireball at Guilmon.

"Pyro Sphere!" Guilmon countered. The larger red fireball cancelled out Agumon's attack and continued on to hit Agumon, causing him to skid a few feet away.

"Agumon! You okay?" Senya called out in worry.

"I'm fine, but this guy is good." Agumon replied, getting to his feet.

"Then, let's make this is a little more challenging for him." Senya replied, taking out a Digivolution card.

"_Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!_" Senya called out, and Agumon began to glow.

"Agumon Digivolve to… Greymon!"

Nyx grinned at the sight of one of his favorite digimon from the Digimon TV show.

"Ready for this, Guilmon? This is going to be fun." Nyx said and Guilmon nodded at his partner. Removing a Digivolution card of his own, Nyx slashed it through his digivice. "_Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!_"

"Guilmon Digivolve to… Growlmon!"

The red dragon/dinosaur snarled at Greymon challengingly and they began to battle.

After a while, once Growlmon got Greymon slightly worn out, he decided to use some of his special attacks.

"Plasma Blade!" Growlmon yelled, slashing Greymon across the chest, causing the dinosaur to stumble back in pain.

"Nova Blast!" Greymon retaliated, causing Growlmon to grunt in pain before he

and Nyx went back to business.

"_Digimodify! Power Activate!_" Nyx yelled.

"Pyro Blaster!" Growlmon yelled, sending out a supped up flamethrower which sent Greymon flying into the air and he de-digivolved before he even hit the ground.

"Agumon!" Senya cried, rushing to his downed partner, knowing they were defeated.

"In a short, but skilled battle, Nyx has defeated Senya Tsukino. Give it up for the both of them. We now have the contestants who will go onto the next level!" the announcer cried. Nyx approached Senya and offered him his hand.

"Good match." Nyx said good naturedly and Senya smiled.

"It was a good match. Your partner is an amazing fighter." Senya complimented. Nyx smiled.

"He is, isn't he? He even surprises _me_ at times." Nyx admitted, and he and Senya shared a good laugh.

During this entire time, Henry was watching Nyx closely, with a small frown on his face.

'_There's something about him… He seems familiar._' Henry thought. As he thought over it, an image of Takato seemed to flicker in his mind. '_Takato? Could he be Nyx? Is that even possible? I'll just have to keep watching this guy. Why does he choose to hide his identity? Then again, I have something to hide too._'

Subtly, Henry pulled out two items that he had somehow attained sometime after he had visited his father at Hypnos a couple of weeks back.

(Flashback)

"Hey Henry, come to see your father?" Riley asked the Tamer and he nodded.

"I had some questions for him about the recent surge of rogue digimon. He's not busy, is he?" Henry queried, and Riley quickly shook her head.

"He's almost out of a meeting. Just wait here and I'll tell him you're here." she said and Henry nodded.

Henry was left with only Terriermon as company and he quickly scanned the area.

"This place is amazing. No wonder Dad manages to gain such a good salary." he muttered, before his eyes fell on a small wooden box placed on Riley's desk.

He didn't know why the box seemed to call to him so much, but he soon found himself in front of the box, ready to open it.

"Are you sure you should do that, Henry? It looks important." Terriermon said, being practical for once.

"I can't help it, Terriermon. Something is telling me I should look." Henry responded, before taking off the lid of the box.

Within it were four tags and crests, stunning Henry temporarily.

'_These look like they came straight from the Digimon TV show!_' he thought, noticing only a difference in the symbols.

Two of them almost seemed to glow for a moment, but Henry quickly dismissed that as a figment of his own imagination.

Placing the lid back on the box, Henry turned to Terriermon.

"Let's get back to where we were before, Terriermon. I'm sure Dad should be there by now." he said awkwardly and he turned to leave the room.

What he and Terriermon didn't notice, though, was that the two crests and tags that had glowed quickly slipped through the slight opening left from the carelessly covered box and flew into the Tamer's back pocket.

(End Flashback)

Henry had discovered the crests later on that night and had panicked. He had considered showing it to his dad, but something told him that that wasn't a good idea. He kept them for the moment, still trying to think of what he could do to return them to Hypnos without having to answer how he got them, because he didn't know how he got it. He wondered if the crests had anything to do with him being an unregistered Legendary Tamer. Hypnos had yet to realize that about him, and Henry was thankful for that. He didn't think he was willing just yet to join the main group. He needed to know more about them first.

His reverie was quickly shattered as the announcer began to speak again.

"Now that we have all the contestants who will be going to the next stage, we have decided upon the pairings. The pairings are as such: Artemis Winthrop vs. Makoto Kiriya, Nyx vs. Toki Narita, Shin Kanbara vs. Rika Nonaka, and Ryo Akiyama vs. Henry Wong." the announcer declared.

At this point, Nyx and Artemis smirked. They got the pairings they'd wanted.

"This will be fun." Artemis said with a cunning smile on her face.

"Don't get too vindictive, Artemis. It doesn't suit you." Nyx responded to the girl. "But it will be nice to give Toki a piece of my mind, despite the fact that he doesn't know who I am."

"I kind of feel bad for Henry though. He has to go against Ryo. We're not even able to defeat him. Out of every Tamer, he's the one with the most experience, having been to the Digital World and all." Artemis commented and Nyx nodded.

The battles started first with the battle between Shin and Rika, who quickly finished off her opponent. She and Renamon proudly walked out of the arena, looking pleased with their victory.

"Nice job, Rika. You make fighting seem so easy." Artemis complimented as the girl joined them.

"You just need to have a good strategy, that's all." Rika answered with a smirk.

"Next up is Artemis Winthrop vs. Makoto Kiriya." the announcer declared and Artemis steeled herself for the upcoming battle, while Rika, Ryo and Nyx wished her luck.

"Ready, Piddomon?" Artemis asked her still digivolved partner as they stood up to go to the arena.

"Of course." Piddomon responded with a confident nod as they faced Makoto and Garurumon.

"You appear to be a strong Tamer. This ought to be an interesting battle." Makoto told Artemis, a benevolent smile on his face. Artemis just nodded with a smirk on her face.

"It will be an interesting battle, Kiriya, just you wait and see." she promised just as the bell rang, signifying the beginning of the battle.

Garurumon attacked first, releasing a wave of blue energy at Piddomon.

"Howling Blaster!" he yelled. Piddomon barely dodged, though the attack glanced off one of his wings.

'_He's fast._' Piddomon thought solemnly before preparing for his own attack.

"Fire Arrow!" he called out but Garurumon easily evaded the attack and came at Piddomon in earnest.

The angel digimon grunted and flew back as Garurumon tackled him and pinned him to the ground.

"_Digimodify! Myotisimon's Crimson Lightning Attack Activate!_" Makoto cried and Garurumon's eyes flashed red before he attacked Piddomon at point blank range.

"Crimson Lightning!" he roared and Piddomon skidded violently across the arena, his cries of pain ringing through the air.

"Piddomon, are you okay?" Artemis called out to her partner, worried for his well being.

"I'll live." Piddomon answered while getting up. When Garurumon lunged at him again, Piddomon punched him away with a force fueled by his partner's own fiery resentment for Makoto.

For the next ten minutes, Piddomon and Garurumon continued to attack and dodge each other with no results until Piddomon began to tire out.

Garurumon took this chance to his advantage and bit Piddomon hard in the shoulder, causing him to cry out in pain and de-digivolve, losing the battle.

"Lucemon!" Artemis cried out, rushing out to her partner's side and helping him up.

"I'm okay. I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough to win this battle for you, Artemis." Lucemon apologized, but Artemis just shook her head.

"It doesn't matter as long as you're okay. We'll get another chance someday." Artemis declared with a soft smile as she helped her partner up.

"With a surprising turn of events, newcomer Makoto Kiriya defeats Artemis Winthrop, one of the Legendary Tamers. Does this prove that the Legendary Tamers aren't too different from all the rest? We'll just have to see that as we move onto the next challenge. Toki Narita vs. Nyx!" the announcer declared.

Nyx smirked widely at this, before turning his attention to Artemis.

"You did great up there… Losing the battle doesn't mean anything. You two showed a real fighting spirit up there. I'd say that was the best battle yet." he complimented them as he passed by to go to the arena. Artemis smiled at his words, grateful for the reassurance.

"Come Growlmon, it's time to show this guy what happens to people who underestimate their opponents." Nyx told his partner as they walked onto the arena with grim looks on their faces. Not that anyone could see Nyx's face to begin with. "Good luck." Nyx said to Toki, choosing to be neutral for the moment, to play the part of a complete stranger.

"I don't need it." Toki replied with a malevolent tone. "Prepare to get knocked off your high horse."

"I could say the same thing to you, Narita." Nyx said coldly, unaware of Henry observing him closely.

'_His mannerisms… and his attitude… why does he feel so familiar?_' Henry wondered.

The bell rang and Growlmon and Dinohumon lunged at each other, engaging in hand-to-hand combat, trying to outdo the other.

Being bigger and generally stronger, Growlmon managed to lift Dinohumon off the ground and throw him across the arena.

Toki looked displeased and began shouting at his partner to get up while Nyx praised his partner, providing an obvious contrast in the bonds the two Tamers had with their partners.

"Your partner may have brute strength but that leads him to lack speed." Toki said angrily. "_Digimodify! Hyper Speed Activate!_"

Dinohumon sped up and tackled Growlmon, who fell onto his backside, winded.

"Daijoubu ka, Growlmon?" Nyx asked, unconsciously not disguising his voice, causing Henry's eyes to widen.

'_I know that voice! Can Nyx actually be one of our classmates?_' Henry thought with suspicion as the battle went on.

"Pyro Blaster!" Growlmon cried, launching a massive flamethrower at Dinohumon, who got burned rather badly.

"Damn it, Dinohumon! Get your act together!" Toki snapped angrily as his partner staggered around the arena. Nyx narrowed his eyes in distaste.

"You treat your partner quite poorly, Narita. Are you really a deserving Tamer?" Nyx queried, feeling pity for Dinohumon. Toki glared.

"I don't need your preaching. You're a late bloomer, if anyone's an undeserving Tamer, it's you." Toki snapped.

Nyx's eyes narrowed dangerously and the aura around him seemed to flare ominously.

"I was going to take it easy on you, but it appears you're asking for trouble." he said icily, signaling for his partner to end the battle quickly.

"_Digimodify! Power Activate! Hyper Wings Activate!_" he yelled, using a powerful combo.

Growlmon came forth, the spikes on his elbows crackling with energy.

"Plasma Blade!" Growlmon cried, striking Dinohumon down. Dinohumon de-digivolved back to Kotemon and he slumped to the ground.

"This battle is done." Nyx said calmly, turning to walk off the arena.

"Damn you!" Toki yelled, lunging at Nyx. Nyx calmly stepped aside and as Toki's momentum led him past Nyx, the Legendary Tamer elbowed him in the back, striking him down.

Toki landed face first into the dirt outside of the arena, meeting with a mix of jeers and groans.

Humiliated, Toki wiped off his face, gave Nyx a hateful glare, collected Kotemon and stalked off.

"Damn this guy's cold, but Toki deserved that." Kazu remarked with an amazed look on his face.

"It kind of reminds me of how Takato beat Toki last month." Jeri commented and Henry's eyes widened.

'_She's right. Now that I think about it, Nyx is a lot like Takato. A bit colder, but that's pretty much it. Takato also stopped looking so depressed about not having a digimon just around the time that Nyx first appeared. Could Takato really be a Legendary Tamer?_' Henry thought, beginning to put the pieces together.

His thought process was interrupted as he was called up for the next match against Ryo.

The battle they fought was a mix of skill on Henry's part and experience on Ryo's, making it a battle that fascinated many of the observers. However, in the end, Ryo's experience managed to win over Henry's strategy. They both shook hands good-naturedly before Henry walked off the field, only feeling slightly disappointed.

"In a series of impressive battles, Makoto Kiriya, Nyx, Rika Nonaka and Ryo Akiyama have proceeded to the semi-finals. With three Legendary Tamers and one normal Tamer, who knows who'll take the prize? For the semi-finals, both teams will be fighting at once in two arenas. Nyx will go against Ryo and Makoto will go against Rika. Be prepared for what looks like two fascinating battles." the announcer declared.

"Good luck you guys. May the best man, or woman, win." Artemis told her friends with a soft smile. She was disappointed she couldn't be with them, but she'd support them the entire time.

"Thanks for the support, Artemis. And don't worry, I fully intend to get revenge for you. Kiriya won't know what hit him." Rika promised.

"Good luck, Nyx. This is bound to be an interesting battle. Two dragons going at it. This is going to be big." Ryo said with an excited grin.

"I'm looking forward to it." Nyx replied and they went to the two arenas, where Makoto was waiting.

"It will be an honor to fight against the Digimon Queen." Makoto said politely, Rika just nodded. She was ready for battle, not small talk.

The bell rang and both battles commenced.

Growlmon and Strikedramon were fighting quite aggressively. At first, it appeared that Strikedramon had the advantage with his strength, but Nyx quickly took care of that with a few modify cards.

Garurumon, though he was fast, wasn't as fast as Kyubimon, who was having fun toying with him.

Just as the battles were heating up, however, the sky became ominously dark as a digital zone appeared.

"A digimon is bio-emerging, and it's powerful." Kyubimon declared, bristling.

"You can't really be surprised though. This tournament is the ideal time to attack as we Tamers incapacitate each other to the point in which our partners don't have the strength to fight off an opponent." Henry said analytically. Terriermon may have lost, but Henry had made sure he had lost without getting too much damage to completely knock him out of commission.

"Impressive observation, human. I must say, you've almost picked up our motive, but sorry to say, this knowledge won't help you to save your miserable lives." a dark voice said and the digimon materialized. It was Myotismon.

"Damn, of all digimon to appear, it had to be him." Rika cursed.

"An Ultimate level, and a powerful one at that. This won't be easy." Nyx said before turning to Jeri, Kazu, Kenta and Suzie.

"You four… Since your partners aren't able to fight right now, please try to lead the audience away. They'll only get in the way. The six of us that can fight will try to deal with him." he said, taking charge for the first time.

The four Tamers looked surprised but nodded as they began to usher the audience away. Myotismon let them as the humans weren't his focus… yet.

"Are you ready yet? I wish to see just how strong you Tamers are before I destroy you." Myotismon said cockily.

"You shouldn't be so eager to meet your end." Rika shot back confidently.

She, Artemis, Ryo and Henry pulled out a blue card that Nyx had grown used to seeing during training. It only reminded him how behind he was in development as a Tamer.

"_Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!_"

"Kyubimon Matrix Digivolve to… Taomon!"

"Strikedramon Matrix Digivolve to… Cyberdramon!"

"Lucemon Digivolve to… Piddomon! Piddomon Matrix Digivolve to… LordHolyAngemon!"

"Terriermon Digivolve to… Gargomon! Gargomon Matrix Digivolve to… Rapidmon!"

"Garurumon Matrix Digivolve to… WereGarurumon!"

Myotismon looked particularly intrigued, but not scared.

"Five Ultimates and one Champion? That's the best you can do?" he scoffed. "Bring it on!"

The six digimon took that as their cue to attack and they lunged at Myotismon.

"Desolation Claw!"

"Talismon Spell!"

"Rapid Fire!"

"Pyro Blaster!"

"Heaven's Gate!"

"Wolf Claw!"

The six attacks struck Myotismon at once, covering the entire area in smoke.

"Did we get him?" Henry queried, only to hear loud cackling.

"That was pathetic." Myotismon jeered, walking out of the smoke completely unscathed.

"He's not even hurt! And we attacked at the same time with our best attacks!" Taomon gasped.

"Damn it, this is just like the ordeal the Digidestined had with this guy. Hee's more powerful than a normal Ultimate." Nyx cursed. "Looks like we may have to enter the fray."

Curiously, Henry and Makoto watched as Nyx took out an impressive sword, Rika took out several shuriken, Ryo took out his tanto and Artemis prepared her bow and arrows that she had kept in the bag she'd brought to the festival.

"You're going to fight?" Makoto asked in surprise.

"Of course, we're not about to leave all the fighting to our partners. That's unfair." Artemis responded, preparing an arrow.

The Legendary Tamers and the digimon surrounded Myotismon on all sides, looking menacing.

"Are you actually going to provide me with a challenge now?" Myotismon taunted and they all attacked, one after another.

As Growlmon tackled Myotismon, Nyx nimbly climbed his partner's back and leapt over to land a slash across Myotismon's chest but he was smacked away easily, but not before grazing Myotismon's side.

As Taomon provided Rika with cover, the Tamer came close enough to toss her shuriken, which Myotismon brushed away like flies.

Cyberdramon sent a volley of energy blasts at the vampire as Ryo leapt onto Myotismon's back and stabbed him, only to be sent flying seconds later into Cyberdramon's waiting arms.

Artemis took the safest route as she shot a couple of arrows at Myotismon which mixed with her partner's energy attacks to actually hurt Myotismon to some degree.

However, in retrospect, these minor wounds dealt to the vampire were not enough to be considered critical damage.

"The Sovereigns are fools to believe that you are worthy to be their chosen warriors. You can barely hurt me even when you clearly outnumber me. I'm done playing now. You bore me. I'll get rid of the weak link first!" Myotismon sneered and he faced Growlmon. "Crimson Lightning!"

Growlmon couldn't move away in time and he took the attack head on as it struck his arm. He screamed in pain, his own Tamer echoing it. At this, all the other Tamers whirled around to stare at Nyx as he clutched his shoulder in obvious pain.

They were puzzled as to what was wrong with him until they saw the stream of blood coursing down his arm.

"Ta - Nyx!" Artemis cried as both he and Growlmon collapsed face down, in the same position.

_Takato found himself floating in a strange dimension filled with giant black gears that were turning and causing a large amount of noise._

_"Where am I?" he wondered out loud, his left hand still bracing his injured shoulder._

_"You're in your own mind." an unfamiliar voice chirped and a peculiar white digimon with purple-tipped ears, wide green eyes and a strange red triangle in the middle of three black triangles on his forehead._

_"Who are you?" Takato queried curiously, his eyes wide in confusion._

_"My name is Calumon! And you're Takato" the small digimon said happily. Takato couldn't help but smile._

_"So Calumon, what are you doing here?" he asked, glancing around the strange dimension. "And how do you know who I am?"_

_"I'm here to help you, silly! You and Guilmon are in trouble. I know who you are because we are two halves of one whole, creating the balance that keeps the Digital World safe!" Calumon declared with a wide smile that made his serious statement seem less serious._

_Takato was about to inquire on what he meant when another voice interrupted him._

_"Tamer…" Growlmon said, half of him hidden in the shadows of one of the gears. "We can still fight."_

_Takato's eyes widened in disbelief._

_"You still want to fight? But… Myotismon's too strong! We don't have enough power to stand up to him!" he argued._

_"As long as you believe that, we won't be able to win. We need to fight together." Growlmon exclaimed._

_"He's right you know." Calumon asserted, facing Takato with innocent eyes._

_"You're right." Takato realized, beating himself up for his doubt. "I got so caught up thinking about how inexperienced I was compared to the others, I didn't put my all into helping you, Guilmon. I'm sorry. I'm going to make it up to you, one way or another."_

_As he said that, his arms instinctively wrapped around Calumon's small frame as the red triangle on his forehead began to glow._

_"CRYSTAL MATRIX!"_

Nyx snapped awake to find that he was lying with his head in Artemis' lap while Calumon sat on his chest. The wound on his shoulder seemed freshly bandaged.

Gazing out at the battlefield, he noticed the five Ultimates, Rika and Ryo doing their best to protect Growlmon who appeared to be slowly regaining his senses.

"Thank goodness you're awake, Nyx! You worried us when you passed out like that. We didn't know what had happened to you. Thankfully, Taomon managed to get you out of the line of fire. This little guy materialized a few minutes after you collapsed." Artemis said as Nyx slowly got up.

"You need to call back your partner. He'll die if he stays there. He's obviously out of the battle." Makoto advised. Nyx shook his head as he removed a card from his card holder.

"No… Guilmon is still willing to fight. And if he wants that, then I'll be with him to the last moment. That's my promise and my vow." he declared as the card began to glow as it turned blue.

The power that had been captured through Calumon's release in the other dimension bubbled to the surface as Nyx slid the blue card through his D-Arc.

"_Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!_"

Growlmon released a large amount of red light as he began to grow.

"Growlmon Matrix Digivolve to… WarGrowlmon!"

The entire group, including Myotismon, stared at the juggernaut in awe before a triumphant grin made it's way onto Nyx's face. He practically glowed with the pride of seeing his partner up and ready for battle in his new form.

"WarGrowlmon, Ultimate level Virus digimon. Special Attacks are Atomic Blaster and Radiation Blade!" Henry read out in awe.

Myotismon, who had looked a little intimidated, quickly put on a brave face and scoffed.

"Just because the little dinosaur digivolved doesn't mean you're going to beat me." he claimed arrogantly.

"We'll see about that." WarGrowlmon and Nyx said together, their minds merged together.

"Nyx seems awfully confident. What makes him think one more Ultimate can make a difference?" Makoto pondered, slightly pessimistically. This earned him a glared from Artemis.

"You don't know those two like we do, Kiriya. They're different from the rest of us. Nyx may have arrived late, but he has the greatest potential of us all. Guilmon himself is a peculiar digimon whose power at certain levels surpasses even the strongest digimon in the next level up. Our best rationalization is that since, unlike other digimon, Guilmon was created with limits that are different than the rest." Rika said, staring confidently at Nyx.

"Grizzly Wing!" Myotismon yelled,s ending his bats at WarGrowlmon. The Ultimate stood firm, letting the bats attack him without showing any sign that it was hurting him.

Nyx let out a barely audible grunt as he felt the incessant stings of the attack, but he stayed strong.

"Atomic…" he began gruffly, widening his arms as if he was unleashing soething, mimicking WarGrowlmon's movements perfectly.

"… Blaster!" WarGrowlmon finished, unleashing two red breams which slammed into Myotismon with incredible force. The vampire let out a scream as he felt his body begin to break up into data.

"This isn't over! You may have destroyed me, but my Master will avenge me!" the vampire roared before he dissipated into tiny particles, which were absorbed by WarGrowlmon.

"Such power…" Taomon gasped as everyone stared at WarGrowlmon in awe.

"We all struggled against him, yet WarGrowmon took him out in one blow. He really doesn't have any limits." Artemis said, proud of her closest friend and his partner.

Nyx walked up to his partner, looking up at him with a smile only the digimon could see.

"Well done, WarGrowlmon. You really proved yourself out there." he complimented as he was lifted onto his partner's shoulder.

"You helped me." the cyborg dragon responded cheerfully, looking proud. "That's all I needed."

"You two are really close. No wonder you are a Legendary Tamer. Working with you has been interesting." Henry said with a bright smile.

"Thank you, but don't sell yourself short. You may not be a Legendary Tamer, but you have all the qualities to be one. You are a brilliant Tamer. I wouldn't mind working with you again." Nyx admitted to his best friend. "Now, I've got to go. It looks like the tournament won't be finished due to this incident. I guess we'll never find out whose the best of the four of us. Then again, would we really want to know?"

The other Tamer silently agreed to the sentiment as they watched Nyx, WarGrowlmon, and Calumon leave the scene.

The dragon flew Takato and Calumon into an abandoned alleyway before de-digivolving. Nyx removed the cloak as Takato ditched the cold persona.

"Well, that was a close call." Takato sighed, leaning against the wall to take a breather.

He suddenly heard someone approach them and he turned in alarm only to see a pretty girl with waist length blonde hair held back in a braid, ice blue eyes and a slim, yet eerily seductive figure. She reached his shoulders in height as she stood before him, looking straight into his crimson eyes.

Takato was about to speak when she placed a finger to his lips, silencing him. She wordlessly took out a handkerchief, stood on her tiptoes, and began to wipe away the blood from the cuts that marred his face.

After she wiped each cut, she'd blow on it gently, as if the cool air would make each cut heal better.

Takato blushed faintly as she wiped away this blood from the split lip he'd got from holding back his cries of pain during the battle. His heart nearly went into overdrive as he felt her cool breath on his lips, causing them to tingle slightly.

Their eyes never wavered from each other as the hand that had once silenced him descended down his neck to rest on his chest, right above his heart.

"Who are you?" Takato asked, his voice a little coarse from the events of the day. The girl gave him a small smile.

"A friend… I'm here to defend your strong heart from the influences of the dark forces after you and your friends. That's all you need to know." the girls said, speaking for the first time. Takato found that he liked her voice. It wasn't soft and melodious like Artemis' voice, but it had a certain mysteriousness to it that drew him in.

He quickly shook his head to snap out of those thoughts.

'_Wait a minute, I like Jeri, so why am I feeling something for this girl? I don't even know her name!_' Takato thought in confusion.

"Good bye for now, Matsuki-san." the girl said as she turned to leave.

"Call me Takato!" the Tamer blurted out before blushing in embarrassment for speaking without thinking.

The girl looked surprised before nodding.

"If that's what you like… Takato." she said softly before disappearing once she exited the alley.

"Strange girl." Takato remarked, wondering why he'd got a sharp thrill out of hearing his name escape her lips.


	10. Feelings

Hey everyone, I'm sorry it took me so long to finally post. Exactly two months actually.I hadn't really planned it like that, but oh well. A lot of college preparations were occuring along with the fact that my family moved to another house. That took a lot of time. However, I've still got my inspiration and I'm going to work harder to get these chapters up faster.

Many of you believe that the girl brought into the story in the last chapter is Alice. I guess I did make her seem like she was Alice through her appearance... My bad. It's actually an OC that will have a very important part in the story. Also, the story will NOT be a Jerato. I had first started it out like that before I realized just how much I couldn't stand that coupling anymore.

WatcherComplex: So far, you've given me quite a few suggestions that are greatly appreciated and you help me keep on track with the story's plot, whether that was intentional or not. Thanks for being a loyal reader.

You Know You Love Me: nice comment as always. Glad to get your input. It's incredibly valuable to me and you know it.

Blue Bragon: Thanks for pointing out the diction issues, it's always been a bit of a problem for me. I'll try to avoid problems with that.

As for the story I mentioned, it's finally complete and I'm working on the sequel. I know there will be at least 4 in the series. All I have to do is get it up online... But I don't think I'll be posting it under NyxShadow but another penname, it all depends. i hope people will like it...

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon, though I want to.

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Chapter 10

Takato walked to school, hearing people gossip over the digimon tournament and the battle the Legendary Tamers, Henry and Makoto had with Myotismon.

"… It was absolutely amazing. I never seen a fight as intense as the one against Myotismon. Talk about teamwork. I'm beginning to see just what separates the Legendary Tamers from the ordinary ones." one person told his friend as he passed by Takato. Like always, Takato was ignored, but the introverted boy found that it didn't bother him as much as it used to.

While everybody was focused on the the battles that had taken place during the weekend, Takato was more interested in the mysterious girl he had met in the alleyway.

'_Who was she? And why is it so important that she "defend my strong heart from the darkness?"_' he thought to himself with a small frown, absent-mindedly walking into his classroom and completely missing the friendly wave Jeri sent his way or the crest-fallen look that appeared on her face when he didn't acknowledge her.

"Something wrong, Takato?" Artemis asked her friend, breaking him out of his reverie. He gave her a warm smile. He shook his head.

"Nothing wrong, just thinking. A lot has happened in the last few days after all." Takato said, trying to assure Artemis that nothing was bothering him. He wasn't about to talk about the girl without more information about her. After all, he could be worrying about nothing at all.

Just as he sat down, he heard Nikki talking to Jeri about Nyx.

"… I wonder why he hides his face behind that hood. Is he ugly or something?" she asked, and Takato sweat dropped silently.

"Nyx is anything but ugly." Artemis spoke out suddenly. The two other girls turned to face her as she joined their conversation. "He's downright _hot_."

Takato barely managed to hide the bewildered look he had on his face as he looked at his best friend incredulously. He'd never imagine her to say _that_ about him. The giggling that followed Artemis' statement only made Takato even more embarrassed.

'_Great, Artemis. As f there isn't enough attention on my alter ego._' he thought dryly with a sigh.

"What's wrong, Matsuki? Jealous that your girl is showing an interest in another guy?" a particularly scathing voice called out. Takato shot a sharp glare at the speaker, Jiro. Why didn't that surprise him?

"First of all, Artemis isn't my girl. Second, why would I be jealous? There's absolutely no reason to be. She can be with whoever she wants." Takato replied calmly but Jiro just sneered.

"And you protest too much." the bully retorted. Takato's eyes turned gold and the hazard symbols appeared on his wrists as the crest of Chaos began to glow against his chest as the boy could barely control his irritation and anger.

"Drop it, Katsuya. You won't get anywhere with this argument, I can assure you of that." Takato threatened icily, teeth gritted.

Jiro just smirked at him, but he backed away, not willing to admit that the dangerous aura that had appeared around Takato had unnerved him.

However, no matter how Takato denied it, Jeri still felt as if there was something there between Artemis and Takato and she intended to find out just what it was.

Therefore, the moment the bell rang for the end of the school day, Jeri approached Artemis.

"Ano… Winthrop-san, could I speak to you privately?" the brunette asked Artemis. Artems looked a bit surprised, considering Jeri had never tried talking to her before. The reason for Jeri avoiding her had yet to come to her.

"Um, sure I guess. If that's what you really want." Artemis said, sounding a bit uncertain. Looking at her watch, she realized she had some time before she had to meet Takato and Rika to go to Hypnos for their daily training session. She figured she had plenty of time to talk to Jeri about whatever was troubling her.

Jeri led Artemis out of the school and deep into a nearby alleyway.

Artemis looked a little unnerved at this and gave Jeri a questioning look. Jeri sighed before speaking out.

"I didn't want to ask you this in front of everyone, considering the way Takato reacted earlier. Do you like Takato, as in do you like him more than a friend." Jeri said, startling herself with her own bluntness. Artemis looked absolutely bewildered.

"No, I don't feel for him like that, Jeri. He's like a brother to me, that's all." Artemis assured the girl, wanting to assuage her fears of Takato liking another woman. Of course, Artemis didn't know of the mysterious girl that had captured Takato's thoughts so she thought there was no competition for Jeri in the terms of having Takato's affections.

Jeri gave a relieved smile to Artemis, seeing the other girl's sincerity and realizing that Takato had really meant it when he said he had no romantic feelings for Artemis, they were only platonic.

Suddenly, Artemis felt as if they were being watched and cursed the fact that she had left Lucemon to wait for Takato and Rika and tell them where she was if she didn't return fast enough. It didn't look like Leomon was there either.

Just as she went on alert, several shady looking guys came out of the shadows and surrounded the two girls.

"What are a couple of nice girls like you doing in a place like this?" one of the men sneered, leering at the both of them. Artemis instinctively stood in front of Jeri, knowing she would stand a better chance in battle against these men than Jeri.

"What's it to you?" Artemis snapped coldly, eyes cold pieces of ice. She put on this mask to protect herself from people reading her emotions in dangerous situations. She was like Takato in that manner, but he kept up the mask at all times.

"You're on our turf, jou-chan. We have every right to know why you've come here." the leader sneered, as the group circled the two girls in an unnerving manner.

'_They're trying to pyche us out._' Artemis deduced, her glare getting fiercer with every passing second.

"You may want to simmer down with that frown of yours, babe, or you'll get wrinkles on that pretty face of yours." another gang member jeered.

Artemis was about to reach for her bow and her arrows that was in her bag when she heard Jeri yelp and she whirled around.

One of the gang members had grabbed her while Artemis hadn't been paying attention and he now held her at gunpoint.

"You'll cooperate with us unless you want your little friend to pay the price of your actions." the leader told Artemis seriously and the man holding Jeri pressed the knife closer to Jeri's throat as a threat. Jeri let out a small whimper as a small stream of blood dripped down her neck from the knife breaking the skin.

Artemis glared at the gang hatefully, knowing she was stuck. She couldn't risk Jeri's life.

'_Damn, I knew I should have told the others where I was going. Hopefully, Lucemon has met up with them already and told them._' Artemis thought.

Takato scanned the area for Artemis, not seeing her at their normal meeting place. Rika soon joined him.

"Where is she? It's not like Artemis to be late." Rika frowned. Takato nodded silently in agreement before his sharp eyes caught sight of Lucemon approaching them. His frown deepened.

"Lucemon, what are you doing here instead of being with your Tamer?" he asked/

"I would be with her right now, but she told me to stay here and wait for you so I could tell you where she is. Jeri-san pulled her away, wanting to talk to her about something. I don't know what it is that she wanted to talk about though. They headed towards an alley nearby. I'm getting a weird feeling about it though." Lucemon said, pointing in the direction.

Takato's eyes widened in horror. He knew the kind of people that stayed in those parts. He'd had the misfortune of being victimized by them a few years back. He'd been hospitalized for it and ever since then, he steered clear of that area.

"Damn it." he swore and he ran off in the direction that Lucemon had pointed at, leaving a confused Rika, Renamon and Lucemon behind.

As he ran, the hazard signs appeared on his wrists, burning off his wristbands and his eyes turned gold as he hid in the shadows as his clothes changed into the outfit he wore at the tournament.

With his transition into "Nyx", the Legendary Tamer found no reason to have to hide and rushed forward towards the alley that Artemis and Jeri were trapped in. He perched on the rooftop of the nearest building and watched with narrowed eyes as the gang bullied his best friend and crush.

One of the gangsters slammed bodily into Artemis, causing her to cry out in pain and fall to the floor. At that point, Nyx's anger sparked into full-fledged rage.

He melted into the shadows and appeared behind the man who held Jeri at knifepoint. Manipulating the shadows had been something he had learned how to do months ago due to his need to stay hidden while fighting off the bio-emerging digimon. Now he could use it to his full advantage.

Sneaking up behind the man, it didn't take him more than a few seconds to knock the man out by pressing the sensitive pressure point on the man's neck. As the man crumpled, Nyx braced Jeri as she fell back from having nothing supporting her anymore. He quickly masked her location with the shadows before approaching the alarmed gangsters with a menacing aura surrounding him.

"Messing with innocent girls is something only playground bullies do. Give me one reason to think of you as anything higher than that in the food chain." Nyx said in a mocking voice that infuriated the gang members. A hidden smirk appeared on Nyx's face. Now that all their attention was focused on him, they would pay no mind to Artemis, which is exactly what he had planned.

Giving a silent glance to his fellow Legendary Tamer, Nyx noted that she had taken out her bow and arrows.

'_Smart move._' he silently complimented before taking out his own blade and getting in a battle stance as the gangsters brought out an array of vicious looking weapons. Luckily, none of them had guns. The last thing they needed was bullets flying at them from several directions.

Moving quickly, Nyx used the darkness of the alley to his advantage as he blended in with his surroundings and disarmed several of the gangsters using the element of surprise. Artemis did her part by pinning the gangsters down with the use of her arrows that immediately paralyzed each man as it locked him in place. She had discovered this particular ability during training and found it quite useful to subdue someone without seriously hurting them the way arrows were meant to. She didn't want to deal serious damage to a human, at least with her weapons over her own fists.

However, the leader wasn't stupid and was able to catch onto the two Legendary Tamers' strategy and started forming his own without letting in on his intentions.

Therefore, it took Nyx by surprise when the leader actually read his intended path and blocked his attack with one hand before launching his own. Nyx managed to twist away, but the blade in the leader's hand managed to leave a nasty gash across his chest. Nyx let out a snarl of pain while Artemis cried out in alarm.

Like with Toki, Nyx's temper sparked, causing the crest of Chaos to glow malignantly from where it was hidden under his cloak.

His attacks grew more rapid and vicious, making it hard for the leader to keep up until Nyx finally managed to knock him out with a harsh swing to the back of the neck with the hilt of his sword.

Breathing heavily, Nyx turned to Artemis, who looked a little bemused to see his little temper tantrum.

"Both of you okay?" he asked curtly as he pulled Jeri out of the shadows. She blushed faintly at the contact with the mysterious Tamer but quickly hid her excitement.

"We're fine." she said softly, trying to get a good look at Nyx's face with little luck.

"Just a little bruised." Artemis responded, looking concerned for Nyx. "Are you okay? You got cut pretty badly."

"I'll manage." Nyx grunted, preferring to get away before Jeri had anymore time to actually look into his identity. He started backing away. "Artemis, do you mind telling Yamaki that I'm not going to be at the meeting today? I'm sure he'll understand."

"Sure, if that's what you really want." Artemis said softly, still looking a little worried for her best friend.

"You're leaving?" Jeri asked in slight disappointment. Nyx turned his attention on her, not sure how he felt about the dreamy look in her eyes focused on him.

"I don't let myself be in the open like this for long. It's bound to gather unwanted attention." Nyx responded as nonchalantly as he could before vanishing into the shadows.

"He's getting better at that…" Artemis remarked, blue eyes fogged over with a mix of worry and bemusement over Nyx's behavior. It seemed with every day he hid his real identity, the more cold and detached he became and that troubled her to no end.

'_Don't lose your kind heart, Takato._' she thought forlornly. She turned to Jeri and gave her a shaky smile.

"We should call the police." she said and Jeri nodded silently, still looking at where Nyx had once been with a faint blush on her cheeks.

Takato stumbled into Shinjuku Park, clutching his bleeding chest with a grimace. He knew he should have at least had Artemis bandage it for him, but he'd wanted to get away from Jeri as soon as possible. It made him feel uncomfortable to be in his alternate form near someone he'd known for so long that didn't know his secret.

What bothered him even further was how Jeri had looked at him. She'd never looked at Takato like that… That look of awe and fascination that she had focused on Nyx.

'_Here you are with a nasty wound and you're thinking about the way a girl thinks about you._' Takato scolded himself with a shake of his head.

He heard someone approaching him and turned his head to the side to see the mysterious blonde girl approaching him.

"It's you!" he exclaimed out in surprise and the girl managed a small smirk.

"Me." she responded teasingly about his obviousness, causing the boy to blush faintly as she kneeled down in front of him with the first aid kit she'd brought with her.

"How did you know where I was, and that I was hurt?" Takato asked in confusion as the girl started taking out supplies. The girl smiled at him mysteriously.

"As I said, the Sovereigns sent me to watch over you. I have my ways of knowing when you need help." she said. "Take off your shirt."

"Nani?" Takato yelped, surprised by the bluntness of her demand. The girl gave him a pointed look.

"Take off your shirt. I won't be able to dress your wounds with your shirt in the way." she demanded. "Or would you prefer I took it off for you?"

The girl couldn't help but smirk as a rather red Takato rapidly pulled off his blood-stained shirt to reveal the gash that was still bleeding, but only slightly.

Taking the shirt from Takato, the girl added slight pressure to the wound until the blood flow finally ceased. Then, she moved onto using a rag covered in alcohol to clean the wound, whispering apologies at Takato's hisses of pain.

"I know the Sovereigns sent you here, but that can't be the only reason you're doing this. I mean, why do you feel the need to disrupt your everyday life for my sake?" Takato queried as the girl bandaged his chest silently. She looked up and met his eyes suddenly and he was taken by surprise by the barrage of emotions passing through her eyes.

"There are some things that shouldn't be known until both parties are ready, Takato. This is one of them." she responded calmly as she finished bandaging his wound. "The bandages will need to be changed every five hours or so. Think you could meet me here at 8:00 tonight? I can change them for you. I'm sure your friend Artemis can help you with it tomorrow at school."

As the girl turned to leave, she was surprised as Takato grabbed her by the wrist.

"Can I at least know what your name is? I'd like to know who the person who is helping me is." Takato said, looking up at her pleadingly.

The girl stared at him silently for a moment before speaking out.

"Shiho… Shiho Miyano." she said after a moment's hesitation. With that said, she slipped out of Takato's grasp and walked away silently.

"Shiho…" Takato repeated quietly as he started walking towards his home. A small smile appeared on his face, his previous worries over Jeri long forgotten. "…Beautiful…"


	11. Close Call

Hey everyone. I'm happy to at least finish a chapter at a faster rate than the last couple of times. I've started looking deeper into the plot of the story and it's time to bring in all the factors together, which makes writing this story a little easier, knowing where it's gonna go. Thanks for all of the support, it means a lot.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon, but I do own Toki, Makoto, Jiro and Shiho, while my friend owns Artemis.

Chapter 11Close Call

Takato sat under the tree he'd been under when Shiho had treated his wound. He was wearing a sleeveless black shirt and black leather pants, making him bled into the darkness.

When a twig snapped nearby, he looked over to see Shiho approaching him, dressed in a sleeveless red shirt and jean shorts.

"You look…. Nice." Takato commented, blushing faintly at the display of legs. Shiho smiled.

"Same goes to you." she responded, kneeling before him. "Will you take off your shirt or should I?"

"You sure love to ask that question." Takato remarked, taking off his shirt. He shivered from the cool breeze that swept across his bare skin.

"What can I say? I happen to like seeing you blush. It makes you look cute." Shiho said and Takato grimaced.

"Cute, just what I need to be known as. Little boys are cute." he sulked with a pout. Shiho giggled quietly and cupped his cheek.

"You're already handsome as it is, hotshot. You don't need any boosts to that ego." Shiho teased and Takato blushed at the compliment.

"You're the only one to tell me that, other than Artemis. She only said that to shut the other girls up and she was talking about Nyx, not Takato." Takato admitted as Shiho exchanged his bandages.

"Looks like even your alter ego overshadows you to a degree." Shiho said sympathetically as she finished with the bandages. "Know that you won't have the same problem with me."

"I've become aware of that in out last two encounters." Takato said as he placed his shirt back on. "Hey Shiho… Would you… er… Like to go out to dinner or something? It's the least I can do for you helping me out like this."

Shiho was silent at first before a dry smile appeared on her face.

"Are you asking me out on a date, Takato?" she asked teasingly, having fun as she watched the introvert blunder for an answer. After a few minutes, she put a finger to his lips to silence him. "I'd love to get something to eat. Anywhere special that you had in mind?"

"I know this one okanomiyaki place that you might like. Does that sound good?" Takato queried, unsure of how Shiho would react.

He was frankly surprised when she placed her hand on his arm and gave him a smile.

"Let's go, shall we?" she asked and Takato gave a small sigh of relief before leading her in the direction of the restaurant.

Unfortunately, when they got there, Takato noticed a few unwanted faces, particularly Toki and Jiro.

Seeing the change in Takato's expression, Shiho followed his gaze and realized the problem.

"I guess you don't want to be near them right now, do you?" she questioned and Takato nodded, giving her an apologetic look. "I guess I can expect a rain check on this dinner then?"

Seeing the disappointed look on Takato's face, Shiho took back her words.

"You know what? How about you come to my place? We can make dinner." she said, pulling an incredulous Takato in another direction.

Fifteen minutes later, Takato and Shiho were cutting vegetables in the kitchen of her apartment.

"You must be pretty trusting to let a man into your apartment at this time of night. It could be seen in the wrong way." Takato commented nonchalantly.

"You're not in the same category as most men, Takato." Shiho responded calmly as the two of them put the vegetables in a pot to cook.

"Oh? So what category am I in?" the Hazard Tamer asked out of curiosity. Shiho just gave him a mysterious smile as she put a finger to her lips.

"Hi-Mi-Tsu." she grinned with a wink. Takato groaned.

"Women and their secrets. I swear they will be the death of me." Takato grumbled with a shake of his head.

"Shut up." Shiho retorted, giving him a playful push.

"You're a pretty decent cook, Takato." Shiho complimented as they finally settled down to eat. He grinned at her.

"Thanks, you're not all that bad yourself." he responded.

After they ate, they sat together just talking about various things, enjoying each other's company.

"So you live alone? What happened to your parents?" Takato asked out of curiosity. Shiho's smile faltered slightly.

"They passed away a long time ago." she said coolly and Takato looked apologetic.

"I'm sorry for bringing up bad memories." he said but Shiho just shook her head.

"That's okay. It was a long time ago. I barely remember them. I was raised by my sister most of the time. We used to share this apartment too." Shiho declared.

"Used to?" Takato repeated in confusion. Shiho looked down, her blue eyes darkening.

"Akemi died in a car crash two years ago. I had been with her and I should have died. Unfortunately, Fate had other plans for me." Shiho said, a little bitterly.

"Shiho…" Takato began but she interrupted him.

"It's nearing 10:00, shouldn't you be getting home by now? It wouldn't be seen as decent if you stayed any longer." the girl said. Takato looked a little confused at her abruptness but recognized it was his cue to leave.

"Sayonara, Shiho-san." he said quietly as he left, shooting one last concerned look her way before the door closed behind him.

Shiho stared at the door blankly for a moment until she felt something wet going down her cheek.

Wiping it away, Shiho realized she was crying… Something she hadn't done in two years.

Takato hadn't slept easily, worried about how things had ended with Shiho the night before.

Therefore, Takato's sleep-addled brain prevented him from picking up on the whispers going around the school about a certain wounded Legendary Tamer. If he had, he would have panicked at the knowledge of there being such incriminating evidence pointing to him being Nyx.

"Of course, Artemis wasn't about to let her best friend go unaware about the potential threat to his identity.

"Takato! Jeri spilled about Nyx's wound to everyone. You need to keep the fact that you're hurt to a bare minimum!" Artemis whispered urgently and Takato paled.

Groaning, he sat down and placed his head in his hands.

"No matte how much I like Jeri, I can't help feeling irritated. She's put me into the spot this time." Takato grouched, a grimace marring his otherwise handsome features.

"All you have to do is make sure no one sees the gash and you'll do fine." Artemis said and Takato nodded.

The efforts to hide the wound was easy, at least until P.E. came around. It was at that time that Takato remembered they would be swimming that day.

Cursing his luck, Takato tried to think of a way out of the situation with little luck.

Having no better solution, Takato vouched for trying to stall for time by keeping his shirt on when the boys walked out of the locker room to meet up with the coach and the girls.

Jyuzou Yamada, the coach, frowned at Takato, acknowledging the blatant act of disobedience to his orders.

"Why are you still wearing your shirt, Matsuki? Are you planning to swim with it on?" the teacher asked sharply, eliciting giggles from most of the students except Artemis, Henry, Rika and Makoto. Takato kept his face passive, hiding his embarrassment.

"…What a loser, wearing his shirt like he's going to swim with it on. Must have something to hide or he's just too embarrassed to show off his scrawny body." Jiro whispered a little too loudly, causing Takato to be ridiculed even more.

'_Why's Takato going this? He's only hurting his shattered reputation even more!_' Henry thought in confusion.

'Take off the shirt, Matsuki, unless you want a detention for disobedience." Yamada ordered.

Takato gave Artemis a helpless look, shakily reaching to remove his shirt.

'_He can't…! If he takes it off now, everything will be revealed!_' Artemis thought in horror, wanting to help Takato protect the identity he'd fought so hard to keep a secret.

Suddenly, a light blue light only visible to the Legendary Tamers came from her and surged towards Takato.

The boy's eyes widened as his wound closed up completely, not even leaving a scar. The bandages disappeared as well just as Takato fully pulled off his shirt.

'_What was that? Artemis released a strange light…_' Makoto thought in confusion. Henry was a bit more suspicious.

After class, Takato approached Artemis, who looked a little more tired than she should have.

"You can heal?" he asked her quietly, eyes wide in shock. Artemis shrugged.

"I can now. I'd never been able to before." Artemis admitted with a small smile. She squealed as Takato hugged her tightly and spun her around.

"Thanks, Artemis! You saved my butt back there!" he exclaimed happily and Artemis giggled.

"Glad to have been of help, Takato." Artemis responded, pleased to have made a difference.

Neither of them noticed Henry observing them with calculating eyes.

That afternoon, as Takato was about to head home, Henry stopped him.

"Can I talk to you, Takato?" Henry asked. Takato was puzzled but he nodded and followed Henry as he led him into an empty classroom.

After making sure there was no one around to overhear the conversation, Henry confronted Takato.

"You made quite the scene today, Takato. Or should I say Nyx?" Henry declared, a small frown on his face. His suspicions were confirmed when he saw Takato pale visibly.

"What are you talking about Henry? I'm not Nyx? How can I be?" Takato denied but Henry wasn't buying it.

"You're never around when Nyx is, you don't seem to be bothered as much by the taunts about you not having a digimon, you act like Nyx and finally, I saw Artemis heal your wound today, the wound that was exactly where Nyx got hurt yesterday." Henry stated. Takato looked ready to argue but decided against it.

"You always were too smart for your own good." Takato sighed. He took out his golden D-Arc to further confirm his identity.

"Why didn't you tell me? I thought we were best friends!" Henry said, a little upset that Takato had lied to him.

"I wasn't ready to tell anyone and Yamaki told me to keep my identity a secret from anyone who wasn't a Legendary Tamer." Takato said, looking apologetic. "I wanted to tell you, but I was afraid of how you would react."

"You know I could never see you in a bad light, Takato. There's no one I know who deserves being a Tamer more than you. You should have trusted me." Henry said, but he wasn't angry. He knew how fragile Takato's self confidence was.

Takato nodded silently, grateful that Henry had taken the news well. His smile faltered as a thought came to him.

"Wait a minute… Through investigation Rika, Artemis and I deduced that only Legendary Tamers could see her healing light… if you saw it, that would mean that you're one of us." Takato exclaimed, glaring at a now panicked looking Henry.

"Er… Oops?" Henry said sheepishly. A vein throbbed in Takato's forehead as he trembled with restrained anger.

"YOU WERE TELLING ME OFF FOR LYING, WHEN YOU WERE DOING THE SAME?!!" Takato boomed and Henry meekly bowed his head, muttering sorry over and over in hopes of appeasing his spastic friend.

I hope this chapter turned out okay. Please point out any potential weak points that I should fix. It would be greatly appreciated. Also, I have this idea for something that would occur a few months in the future of the story that I'd like to get your opinion on. If you like it, I can work the plot towards that, if you don't, I'll just have to make some changes so that it would make sense.

The idea would help establish the dark aspect of the story, namely Takato's dark heart as his identity is revealed and Toki poisons the minds of those close to him (not including the Legendary Tamers). I wanted to have a few years pass by with the Legendary Tamers leaving Japan for a bit (with someone to take their place of course), but I wanted to know what you guys think. Does it make sense to make this kind of plot decision or is too much?

Please give me your input, it would be greatly appreciated.


	12. Mystery

A/N: I'm back with another chapter and I apologize for the long wait. With exams and a few computer problems, things have been a bit hectic. I'm hoping that things have settled down enough for me to remain focused. I hope this chapter our liking.

Thanks for the input on the idea I have for a plot twist. It's just what's needed to darken things up.

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Chapter 12

Takato had taken Henry straight to Hypnos upon learning that he was the fifth Legendary Tamer.

Yamaki had at first been displeased at Henry's choice to hide the fact that he was a Legendary Tamer but he realized that it could be used to their advantage.

Rika, Ryo, and Artemis hadn't been surprised at all to hear that Henry was a Legendary Tamer, having suspected it themselves many times before. Now all that was left was for them to find the last of their team.

Things got a little better at school for Takato now that his other best friend was in on his secret and his coldness began to dissipate.

However, at the same time, Takato was losing another friend as Kazu began to fall under Toki's sway. Takato tried not to let Kazu's choice bother him, but it did. He still couldn't believe tat Kazu would actually do that.

Takato hadn't seen Shiho for a while but he figured it was because things were relatively peaceful at the moment.

The breach in the unnatural peace came in the form of a series of documents with strange runes covering the majority of them.

"These runes were unearthed at the ruins of an ancient temple in the Digital World. The Sovereigns have given the task of deciphering them to you, considering the runes have a connection to all of you." Yamaki said and the five Tamers noted the writing at the top that signified their recently unearthed titles: Hazard (Takato), Seirin (Rika), Tenshi (Artemis), Rurouni (Ryo), Heisei (Henry), and Kenshiki (the sixth).

"An ancient temple has information about us?" Rika asked incredulously.

"Apparently so. It's up to you to see just what these runes say about you." Yamaki declared.

"Great, homework out of class." Takato grumbled under his breath so only Henry and Artemis could hear. They snickered quietly.

"The Sovereigns have given a key to deciphering the runes and we've printed out a copy for each of you. Good luck." Riley told the Legendary Tamers, handing out the copies of the key.

"This is going to take a while." Ryo mused as the five teenagers left the Hypnos building.

"Hopefully whatever comes out of it will be worthwhile." Artemis commented.

"Let's hope so." Henry agreed before the group dispersed.

Takato, Calumon and Guilmon went to Shinjuku Park where they sat under the shade of a tree as Takato tried to figure out the encrypted message. He found that being around nature helped him think better.

He'd barely covered the first couple of lines when he felt someone approaching him.

Turning his head, he saw Shiho approaching him. He smiled.

"Hey, long time no see." He greeted as she sat down next to him.

"It's only been three weeks, Takato." Shiho commented in amusement. "And it's not like I'm a constant in your life."

"But I'd like you to be." Takato blurted out and then he blushed in embarrassment. Shiho stared at him for a moment before smiling.

"I've made that much of an impression on you, have I?" she teased with a slight chuckle. "The Sovereigns told me that they gave the lot of you the rune documents. How is that coming along?" Takato grimaced.

"It's going okay, so far. I've only managed to translate this: 'The warrior of many forms will mark the balance.'" He said, looking puzzled.

"Well, it's obviously talking about you, Takato. The elements of chaos and balance are present in just this line. Having many forms means the lack of constancy, an important feature of chaos as it creates disorder. Do you understand?" Shiho stated calmly. Takato looked impressed by how easily she had interpreted the line.

"I guess it makes sense that way. Does that mean I'm able to take on different forms other than just the cloaked figure from the tournament?" Takato wondered.

"You should be able to. How about you meet me here tonight? We can experiment a bit with it." Shiho suggested.

"Sounds good to me. I guess I'll see you then?" Takato asked and Shiho nodded.

"Come at 7:00. no one should be here around then." Shiho said before walking away.

"Is she your girlfriend?" Calumon asked innocently and Takato blanched.

"N-no! Just a friend." He insisted, his cheeks red.

Artemis was sitting in a café with a cup of French vanilla coffee as she tried to decipher the runes. So far, she'd only got:

''Warrior of light and healing with a strong and unwavering hear.'

It didn't tell Artemis much and it irritated her.

"What's wrong?" Makoto asked, noticing the discontent on her face.

"I have this assignment I need to do for Hypnos and it's not going well." She said simply, deciding to at least be civil.

"Oh? Can I have a look?" Makoto questioned. Artemis didn't see the harm in it so she gestured for him to 'go ahead.'

Makoto sat down beside her and inspected both the key and the runes.

"I see why you're frustrated. This is more complicated than it looks." Makoto remarked, frowning in concentration. Artemis was frankly surprised that he was trying to help her but she remained silent.

After five minutes, Makoto's eyes brightened.

"I think I've got something! You see these runes here mean 'keeping the darkness at bay' while this one here signifies 'bringer of hope.'" Makoto explained. "It must mean that you will provide a sort of morale boost to your associates and prevent the negative forces from infiltrating your group. Looks like you've got an important role among the Legendary Tamers."

"You could tell all that just by a couple of phrases?" Artemis stated, impressed. Makoto flashed a grin in her direction.

"I'm just that good." He said in a slightly arrogant manner that irritated Artemis.

"You can't take a compliment without inflating your ego, can you?" she asked in a deadpan voice, looking at him with half-moon eyes. '_And I thought we might be able to get along_._'_

"Hmm?" Makoto responded, confused by the sudden mood change. When her words finally processed, he frowned. "Okay, one minute we're talking civilly and now you're irritated because you think I'm being egotistical? I know we had a bad start but do you have to hold a grudge?" Artemis' eyes sparked as she scooped up the papers on the table..

"This has got nothing to do with our first meeting. That experience just served to show your true character and I didn't like what I saw." She retorted, glaring at Makoto.

"So I made a faulty judgement about your friend. I said I was sorry, didn't I? you're so blinded by your loyalty to Takato that you don't see the good points of anyone else!" Makoto exclaimed in the heat of the argument. By this time, most f the inhabitants of the café were watching the arguing Tamers in interest.

"That's not true!" Artemis declared, blue eyes turning to chips of ice.

"Oh, is it? You stay with Takato at all times, like he's the life line that keeps you afloat. You act as if he's the most important person to you! I wonder just where do your parents stand in your heart in comparison to him?" Makoto said before regretting the words the moment they escaped from his mouth. He'd gone too far.

SLAP!

Makoto's face flew back from the strike and when he looked back, he saw Artemis' eyes clouded with tears.

"My parents are dead." She deadpanned emptily before running out of the café, tears streaming down her cheeks.

"You've really done it this time, Mako." Gabumon said as the boy silently beat himself up.

"I know…. I guess I let my jealousy get the best of me." Makoto said, his eyes filled with remorse.

Artemis ran through the streets, nearly blinded by her own tears.

It wasn't a surprise when she collided with someone with great force, causing both of them to fall down.

"Artemis?" a concerned voice called out, placing two supporting hands on the teenager's shoulder.

Artemis looked up through bleary eyes to see Riley looking down at her with wide eyes.

In her pain-filed mind, the red-haired woman in front of her reminded her of someone who was very important to Artemis and she threw her arms around a startled Riley, a fresh bath of rears running down her face.

Riley brought Artemis to her apartment, knowing the girl was in need of comfort, reassurance and peace.

"What's wrong, Artemis?" Riley asked, once they sat down on her couch.

It took Artemis a few minutes but she finally explained what happened with Makoto.

Riley knew of the death of Artemis' parents and she knew just how much Artemis must be hurting due to the harsh words said about her relationship with her parents.

So, she let Artemis cry, the teenage girl taking solace in the woman who reminded Artemis of the mother she had never seen out of photos.

After a while, Artemis calmed down enough to think rationally and she sat up quietly.

"I'm sorry, Riley-san, to have taken up your time like t his." Artemis said meekly, looking down at her feet. Riley gave her a kind smile.

"Don't worry about it, I'm just glad you're alright now." The Hypnos official said with a relieved smile. It was then that Artemis noticed just how nicely dressed Riley was. It was like she was going on a date. Realization dawned on Artemis and she looked even more apologetic.

"I'm so sorry, Riley! I stopped you from going on your date!" Artemis apologized profusely.

"It's not really a problem, Artemis. I'm sure Mitsuo will understand." Riley assured the Legendary Tamer.

Artemis face scrunched up in a frown as she tried to think of where she'd heard that name before. The answer hit her like a ton of bricks and Artemis' jaw dropped.

"You're dating Yamaki-san?" she gaped and Riley chuckled at her reaction.

Ell, I'm unofficially dating him, anyways. He still calls our dates 'outings,' because his pride won't let him admit that he's opening up to somebody." Riley giggled and Artemis couldn't help but giggle as well.

"I can imagine Yamaki-san like that. He always seemed so closed off but it's good to see that he's letting someone in. I'm happy for you, Riley-san." Artemis said, with a genuine smile. Riley gave her a warm look in response.

"Getting out once in a while is good for the man. He's too focused on work." Riley commented with a wink. "And it looks like you've cheered up nicely."

Artemis nodded with a grateful look.

"Thanks for lending a listening ear, Riley-san. I really appreciate it." Artemis said.

"It was nothing, Artemis. I was just glad to help." Riley answered. "You sure you'll be alright?" Artemis nodded.

"Yeah, I'll be fine." She said.

Artemis was about to leave when an energy blast broke through the door and headed towards them. Lucemon quickly pushed the two humans out of the way, keeping them from harm.

"What's going on?" Artemis cried out in alarm as a BlueMeramon came in, grinning malevolently.

"My master has ordered me to destroy you, Tenshi Tamer." BlueMeramon intoned, flames flaring around him.

"I won't let you!" Lucemon cried out, stepping in front of his Tamer.

"It's your demise." BlueMeramon responded, getting ready to attack.

Wanting to help, Artemis took out a blue card.

"Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!" she cried.

"Lucemon Digivolve to…. Piddomon! Piddomon Matrix Digivolve to…. LordHolyAngemon!"

Riley grabbed Artemis' hand and began pulling her away, knowing that it wouldn't do them any good to stay where BlueMeramon could get them.

A LordHolyAngemon and BlueMeramon abandoned the apartment to fight outside, Artemis could only watch in horror as Riley's apartment erupted into flames.

"Your home!" Artemis cried out but Riley was n pure business mode.

"Pay no matter to that. Your life is at stake right now." The Hypnos official replied as they ran.

Artemis still looked a little troubled but she realized she had little choice but to listen to Riley.

A/N: I hope the chapter suited your liking. Also, if there is any particular scene that you may like seeing in the story don't hesistate to mention it. I like hearing what people would like to see, gives a wide range of views on the story and helps my mind get working for new ideas.


	13. Resolution of a Problem

A/N: Well, I'm back with another chapter. I thought it'd be cool to put it up on July 4. Hope you enjoy the chapter.

Ligerxt: Your idea seems quite amusing. I just love when there's something like that to help strengthen the relationship between friends and show the true strength of the character who was victimized. I think I actually found as way to come upon the Legendary Tamers leave Japan idea of mine with this. Thanks!

Firehedgehog: Thank you for giving me my 100th review! I was planning to do something special for the 100th reviewer, so tell me if there's anything you'd like: a special scene you have in mind, a mini-story or whatever you can think of.

KaiserQ 47: your character seems quite interesting. He kind of reminds me of a character in one of the RPGs I participate in. The similarity is almost uncanny XD.

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Chapter 13

When Riley didn't show up at their designated meeting place even an hour after the decided meeting time, Yamaki knew something was up. It wasn't like Riley to be late.

However, when he got a report of a bio-emergence dangerously close to Riley's apartment, Yamaki sprang into action.

Dialing the number that made a connection to all the Legendary Tamers' D-Arcs, he gave out commands.

"There's a bio-emergence in Sector-265. Report there to deal with it immediately." He ordered.

"Yes, sir!" Takato, Henry, Rika and Ryo chorused from the other line. Yamaki frowned as he realized Artemis had never responded but realized there must be a reason. At the moment, he was worried for Riley.

Makoto was looking for Artemis, hoping to apologize to her for his rude behavior earlier. He really didn't like the idea of having permanently destroyed any chance of friendship with the girl.

The truth was that he really liked her, despite her fiery attitude towards him. he'd seen her with everyone else. He knew how kind-hearted she was and he'd fallen hard for her. He just needed to show her that he wasn't as bad as he appeared to be. That was harder to do than he thought, considering whenever he was with her, he couldn't help but argue with her when she showed her clear disdain for him.

His thought process was disrupted when his D-Arc started acting up, signifying that a digimon had bio-emerged into the Real World.

Seeing a baby blue dot on the monitor, he realized that Artemis was close to the bio-emergence. Realizing that the digimon needed to be dealt with while it opened an opportunity for him to try to talk to Artemis, Makoto rushed in the direction of Riley's apartment.

As Takato, Guilmon and Calumon rushed off in the direction of the bio-emergence, Takato picked up five D-Arc signals, ones that he recognized as Toki, Jiro, Kazu, Kenta and Jeri's. They were headed in his direction.

Cursing silently, he took on his cloaked form so as to not betray his identity.

The five Tamers in question stopped in place when they finally came into the same area as Nyx.

Toki and Jiro were scowling at him with pure malice, Kazu was looking at him with jealous awe, Kenta was merely curious and Jeri was staring at him with admiration.

"What's the lone wolf Legendary Tamer doing out in broad daylight?" Toki sneered, trying to get a rise out of him.

"I may not like to be seen, Narita, but that doesn't mean I'm going to ignore my duties. Now if you excuse me, I have a digimon to defeat." Nyx declared icily, trying to leave but Toki, Dinohumon, Jiro and Devimon blocked his path.

"Sorry, no can do. We've got a score to settle with you." Jiro responded, still holding a grudge on Nyx for beating him up at the Tournament.

"You don't want to mess with me." Nyx warned, the growl in his voice quite evident.

"Is that supposed to scare us away?" Toki taunted and he gestured for his partner to attack, despite Kenta and Jeri's protests. Devimon attacked as well.

"A cowards fight…" Nyx grumbled to himself before turning to Guilmon. "You take Dinohumon. I'll take Devimon."

"If you're sure about that, Nyx." Guilmon responded as Nyx made him digivolve to Growlmon.

"Let's make this fast." Nyx declared and they launched themselves against the two offending digimon.

"Do you think your partner will be able to handle BlueMeramon by himself. That digimon looked particularly strong." Riley asked as she and Artemis got a safe distance away from the battle scene.

"I think so. We've been training long and hard and I have faith in LordHolyAngemon's abilities." Artemis said, still holding a little fear for her partner's safety.

"The other Tamers should know about BlueMeramon by now. LordHolyAngemon should be getting some back up very soon. At least I hope so." Riley told Artemis.

"Ice Phantom!" BlueMeramon yelled, striking LordHolyAngemon harshly. The angel grunted in pain, holding his abdomen. "Face it, angel, you can't beat me as you are. You're too weak. Your Tamer isn't even here to give you modifications."

"All that matters is that she's safe. I don't need modifications to fight you." LordHolyAngemon declared in a strong voice.

"He's not alone either." Another voice popped up and WarGrowlmon, Rapidmon, Taomon and Cyberdramon appeared at LordHolyAngemon's side. Their Tamers were at a safe distance, ready to give their partners all the help they needed.

"How sweet, the entire team is here. That won't do you any good." BlueMeramon said cockily as he struck out at them, causing them to scatter.

"Don't be so overconfident when we have you outnumbered and outmatched." Taomon answered. "Talisman of Light!"

BlueMeramon dodged the attack and then tackled Taomon, causing her to groan and slam into a nearby roof.

"He's fast…" Taomon warned her allies as she recovered from the attack and joined them.

"That can be remedied." Ryo said confidently. "**Digimodify! Hyper Speed Activate!**"

Cyberdramon sped off in a flash and managed to land a succession of devastating blows on BlueMeramon. The large digimon was obviously hurt but he was still fighting strong and giving the tamed digimon a rather hard time.

"Damn, this guy's good. Even with being outnumbered 5 to one, he's still fighting." Takato scowled.

"We need to think of some way to defeat him and we need to do it fast." Henry stated.

Artemis felt LordHolyAngemon's pain and she knew the battle wasn't going very well. Therefore, she put aside her fear and put on a brave face.

"Artemis?" Riley asked confused when the girl stopped in her place.

"LordHolyAngemon needs me. I can't just run away." She said and she ran back in the direction of Riley's apartment, or what was left of it. Riley watched with slight exasperation but mostly she felt pride for the girl's brave front.

"Tamers… They're stubborn until the very end." She remarked before going after Artemis.

They arrived just in time to see BlueMeramon attack LordHolyAngemon.

"Vision Bind!" the rogue yelled and LordHolyAngemon cried out as he was blinded from the bright light. Then BlueMeramon aimed another attack. "Cold Flame!"

"Lucemon!!" Artemis cried out in fear for her partner. She knew he wouldn't be able to take the attack.

"Wolf Claw!" WereGarurumon yelled, slashing through the attack and protecting LordHolyAngemon. Once the angel digimon was able to recover from his temporary blindness, he looked at the werewolf in surprise.

"You helped me?" he asked.

"Of course, we're on the same side." The digimon responded, gesturing to Makoto who was observing from the ground.

Artemis gave him a surprised look. She was still upset with him about his cruel comment but she couldn't help but feel a little thankful that he had tried to help her partner out. Makoto met her eyes and gave her an apologetic smile, a very sincere one and Artemis remembered that though his statement had been harsh, he hadn't known about her parents' death. She couldn't fault him for that either. That didn't stop her from still being a little mad at him for saying it in the first place.

"Damn interference." BlueMeramon cursed, glaring at all the digimon facing him.

"Let's finish this guy once and for all." Nyx declared and everybody agreed.

"**Digimodify! Power Activate!**" all six Tamers called out, increasing the power of their digimon and lowering the chances of BlueMeramon's survival.

BlueMeramon realized this and grew exceptionally annoyed. His eyes fell on Artemis.

"I may fall in this battle but at least I'll complete my main objective!" he yelled. "Ice Fireball!"

"Run Artemis!" the Tamers cried out in horror as the girl stood frozen in her place in fear as the attack came towards her.

At that moment, Makoto rushed forward and shielded her protectively as the flames rained down on them.

"Artemis/Makoto!" LordHolyAngemon and WereGarurumon yelled in fear but when the smoke cleared, they were all shocked to see both Tameers unharmed with some sort of semi0translucent shield protecting them. It vanished before any of the Tamers or digimon could make sense of what had happened.

Angry, the six tamed digimon confronted BlueMeramon.

"We're not going to give you another chance to attack our Tamers!" WereGarurumon growled and they all prepared their most powerful attacks.

"Desolation Claw!"

"Talisman of Light!"

"Atomic Blaster!"

"Rapid Fire!"

"Garuru Kick!"

"Soul Banish!"

"This isn't the end!" BlueMeramon yelled as he dissipated into data.

The Tamers, their digimon and Riley sighed in relief, seeing that the current source of chaos was now dealt with. They all went to where Artemis and Makoto were.

"You protected me?" Artemis asked, kind of shocked.

"Of course I did. I'm not going to let you get hurt if I can do something about it." Makoto said. "I know I said a lot of harsh things back at the café, Artemis, but I want you to know, I didn't mean it. I just got caught up in the heat of the argument. It hadn't been what I meant to say at all."

"But it still hurt…" Artemis said, looking down.

"I know, and I admit I was a complete and utter ass for doing that… but I want you to know just how sorry I am for it. I'll do anything to make it up to you." Makoto said, in an almost pleading voice.

Artemis looked a little reluctant but realized that there was no point in holding such a grudge, especially when it had just been an honest mistake.

"Just give me some time." She responded.

"I have a feeling we've missed something." Rika commented dryly and Riley placed a hand on her shoulder, a finger at her lips. Rika got the message loud and clear and the four Legendary Tamers let go of their confusion.

Yamaki arrived just a little bit after that and he was quickly briefed on the situation.

"Why did BlueMeramon go after Artemis specifically? It doesn't make sense." Ryo commented, crossing his arms with a pensive look on his face.

"It could be something about her role within this group of Legendary Tamers. This means that deciphering those runes has taken an entirely new level of importance." Yamaki said seriously.

"There's also the matter of that strange shield that protected Artemis and Makoto-san. We have no clue how it came to be." Henry added, looking pretty contemplative.

"Could it be one of Artemis' special abilities?" Takato suggested curiously.

"It could be, we'll have to look into it." Yamaki stated.

That was when they looked at Riley's ruined apartment.

"It's going to take a lot of money and time for your apartment to be fixed, Ootori-san." Makoto said with a small wince. Riley realized this too and now that there was no digimon threat to deal with, the full brunt of the issue hit her. However, Yamaki quickly came to her rescue.

"Hypnos will pay for the repairs, since it was destroyed as a result of a digimon attack. As for where Riley will be staying…" he said, turning to her. "You can always stay with me. I have plenty of room in my apartment."

Riley looked shocked at the proposal, a faint blush appearing on her face.

"I don't want to impose." She protested but Yamaki shook his head.

"You wouldn't be. You practically live there anyways." He pointed out, taking into consideration how many times he'd requested her to come over to help him with work.

"He's got a point there." Terriermon quipped.

The Tamers watched as Riley silently made her decision.

"I guess I will move in with you. Thank you, Mitsuo." She said with a small smile, getting a small smile in return.

The Tamers looked at each other in surprise. They rarely saw Yamaki smile, though he had given them the look of a proud father a few times when he didn't think they could see.

As Takato glanced around the place, his eyes fell on Shiho, who was watching from a safe distance. Their eyes met and a silent message passed between them.

"_Stay with your friends for now._"

Takato knew through the look in her eyes that their meeting for the night would be postponed for another date and that was just fine with him. For now, he'd just like to be with the other Legendary Tamers and try to enjoy their time together without the need of chaos to bring them together.

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A/N: I hope the chapter was to your liking. Now that I actually have time to think over this story I have a feeling things are going to by faster (hopefully).


	14. Masquerade

Hey, I'm back with another chapter. Hopefully this one will be good enough to make up for my three month break. If not, I'll work on making up for it. I'm actually kind of proud of the way I ended this one though. I always thought my endings were a little shaky at most. After several trying incidents (including a _hot_ trip to India and finally starting college) my creativity finally sparked up again and I'm feeling good about this story and the ideas I have for it.

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Chapter 14Masquerade

Takato walked into school the next Monday to find everyone gossiping about something that was surprisingly not the latest digimon attack. Takato was rather thankful for this, in truth, because it had been pretty taxing for Artemis. At least this way, his female best friend would be able to get a moment's peace. Or that's what he thought anyways.

When he entered the room, he found all the boys surrounding Artemis' desk, desperately trying to ask her out for what seemed like an upcoming dance.

Artemis looked thankful as she caught sight of Takato as his presence made the boys slink away from her desk.

"What was that all about?" Takato asked with a raised eyebrow.

"This Saturday there's going to be a masquerade ball sponsored by Hypnos. Everyone in the city is invited. It's mandatory attendance for the Legendary Tamers. We represent Hypnos after all." Artemis told Takato with a small smile. "It will be fun to think up costumes."

"I guess it would be." Takato agreed, scratching the back of his head. "Though, I don't know how great I am at making costumes."

"Don't worry about that, Takato. I can help you with that. In fact, how about I come up with a costume idea for you and keep it a surprise for you until the day of the ball. What do you say?" Artemis asked with a bright smile. Takato saw how excited the girl was and he didn't have the heart to deny her.

"Sure, go ahead. I trust your judgement." Takato said and Artemis nearly squealed in excitement.

"Thanks, Takato. I'll make sure to do my best with your costume." She said, kissing his cheek, not noticing the slightly jealous look on Makoto's face.

Later that day, at Hypnos, the five Legendary Tamers were talking with Yamaki, Riley, and Talley about the reasons behind sponsoring the masquerade ball.

"It's a charity function. 70 of the money will go to dealing with the less privileged sector of Tokyo, while the remaining amount will go to improving our defenses against rogue digimon. It's to make your jobs a little easier." Yamaki explained.

"Well, at least it's for a good cause." Ryo said optimistically.

"So, anybody know who they're going with?" Talley asked, trying to start a conversation. "I already know Riley and Yamaki are going to go together as Cleopatra and Marc Antony, so what about all of you youngsters?" Riley and Yamaki gave Talley an indignant look mixed with a little embarrassment.

"I decided to go with Pretty Boy." Rika admitted grudgingly, trying to ignore a beaming Ryo. The others looked surprised.

"Why?" Henry queried, cocking his head to the side.

"Well, I was getting pretty irritated by the amount of boys asking me out to the ball. I know they're only asking either because I'm the daughter of a famous model or because I'm a Legendary Tamer and they want a piece of my glory. At least I know Ryo's tactics and know that he's not like all the rest. Can you believe that Kazu actually tried to ask me out?" Rika exclaimed in disbelief. Her fellow Legendary Tamers gave her a sympathetic look.

"That's got to suck. Well, at least you can trust Ryo to be good, non-shallow company." Artemis said and Rika nodded.

"He may be annoying but he's dependable." Rika said and Ryo looked even more pleased.

"So, what are you going as?" Takato asked the two more experienced Legendary Tamers.

"I'm going to be an Amazon Queen." Rika said proudly.

"I'm going as a gladiator." Ryo said with a bright smile. "What about the rest of you?"

"We don't know yet." Artemis spoke for both her and Takato. Henry said the same.

As Takato left Hypnos, Henry quickly caught up with him.

"Takato, I wanted to talk to you about something before you left." Henry said, matching pace with the Hazard Tamer.

"What about, Henry?" Takato asked, looking curious.

"It's about Jeri…" Henry began, semi-reluctantly. "Word has it that she's going with Toki to the masquerade." Takato looked surprised and a little hurt.

"What happened to Toki's girlfriend?" Takato questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"He dumped her a week ago. Apparently, he got tired of her. Jeri's caught his interest now and he bugged her into going with him." Henry said. "I'm sorry, Takato. I know how much you liked her."

Takato looked down, feeling mixed emotions.

"It's alright, Henry. It's her choice. I'll just have to deal with it." Takato said, keeping his voice as calm as possible. Henry looked doubtful but et Takato go, knowing that the other boy had a lot to think about.

That night, Takato met Shiho in the park to start training. However, he wasn't having much luck taking any form other than his normal form and the bonde, gold-eyed form he used as a default for Nyx.

"I don't understand… Why is it so hard?" Takato pondered, crossing his arms as he leaned against a tree.

"Maybe it's because you don't know what to look for." Shiho commented, walking up to him. "Your first transformation originated from your need to hide from public eye. Now, you don't really have an urgent need. I guess this is a sort of ability that needs to come naturally. Training won't help."

"I guess you have a point, Shiho." Takato said with a sigh. Shiho ran a hand through his hair affectionately.

"Don't worry, Takato. You'll get the hang of this eventually." She assured him before she walked away, leaving the boy staring after her longingly.

The week passed quickly and Takato soon found himself in front of Artemis' apartment, waiting for her to answer the door.

'_I wonder what costumes Artemis made for us?_' Takato thought to himself just as Artemis opened the door. His mouth gaped wide open.

Artemis was wearing a black blouse that showed her midriff. It had long sleeves that flowed at the end and were relatively sheer in nature. The black skirt had an uneven hem, giving Artemis a sort of punkish look. A wreath of black roses (how had she gotten them anyways?) rested on her now darker red hair. A silver domino mask covered her blue eyes.

"What are you supposed to be?" he asked her, looking her over.

"I'm the Black Rose, a phantom mistress." Artemis said with a small wink. "Is something wrong with my costume?"

"No, no." Takato denied. "I just didn't expect you to be dressed like this. I'd expected something… purer." Artemis scoffed.

"That's what everyone would expect of me. I wanted to be spontaneous." She said with a wry smile.

"You look great." Takato assured his best friend. "You'll be the center of attention for sure."

"Not alone." Artemis said slyly, pulling Takato into her apartment.

Ten minutes later, Takato was clad in white armor with gold lining. His cape was red and his sword was strapped to his waist. A gold domino mask hid his golden eyes.

"I'm a knight?" Takato asked as Artemis spiked up his blonde hair.

"I thought it would be fitting for you." Artemis said happily.

"I'll take your word for it." The Hazard Tamer replied. "You sure you want to stick with me and not some other guy you can date?"

"I'm sure, Takato. I don't know anyone else I would want to go with to the dance than you, Nii-san." Artemis said warmly. He smiled at her and squeezed her hand affectionately.

Meanwhile, the masquerade ball was in full swing.

"I wonder where Nyx and Artemis are?" Rika queried. She was wearing a dark blue corset top and a black leather skirt. She also had knee-high boots and a golden crown on her head with a white domino mask.

"I'm sure they'll be here soon." Ryo said, wearing the traditional gladiator garb, except in his blue and silver main colors.

At that time, Toki came with Jeri, a malicious smirk on his face. He was Napoleon Bonaparte and Jeri was Josephine.

"Looks like two of the guests of honor are still MIA. No matter. Nyx is a bastard and Artemis is his filthy slut." Toki sneered. Rika moved to attack him but Yamaki held her back.

"I suggest you watch what you say, Narita-san, otherwise we'll be forced to make you leave this place." Yamaki said coolly. Toki just sneered at him.

"This is coming from the man in a heavily looked down upon relationship with your coworker." Toki said maliciously, causing Yamaki to barely contain a growl.

Thankfully, Jeri intervened.

"Stop it, Toki. Let's just dance." She said, giving an apologetic look to the Legendary Tamers and their bosses before they left.

"I still don't know why she agreed to be his date. He's a rotten slime." Rika growled.

"It's her choice. She'll figure out her mistake eventually." Ryo stated.

At that moment, everyone's attention was caught by the revving of a motorcycle as Nyx and Artemis made their presence known.

Everyone was stunned as the two Legendary Tamers made their way to their colleagues.

"Geez, it's like the representatives of light and dark have switched places for the night." Kazu commented, dressed as a cyborg, much like Andromon.

"I think it's pretty unique." Ayaka, his date, stated. She was dressed as an angel.

Jeri was quite interested as well and her hear fluttered when Nyx glanced at her. The look confused her, as he seemed almost sad at seeing her with Toki.

'_Does he like me or something?_' she thought, feeling a little hope. She was disappointed when he averted his eyes towards his friends.

"You two look great." Henry complimented them. He was dressed as a bounty hunter with dark green pants, a light green shirt and a silver vest. Two fake uns lie in holsters at his waist.

"Thanks, it was Artemis' ideas for these costumes." Nyx said, beaming at the redhead.

"I thought the element of surprise would be an interesting tool." Artemis smirked.

"Well, it's good that you've arrived. It's time for all of you to choose a partner for the representative dance." Yamaki stated.

Ryo and Rika were, of course, dancing together, as were Artemis and Nyx. Henry had selected Alice, the granddaughter of one of his father's college friends: Rob McCoy, aka Dolphin.

Everyone got off the dance floor for the representative dance and many watched in envy at the chosen partners of these exceptionally beautiful warriors.

The song that played was a Spanish song, and Nyx and Artemis smirked. Spanish dance was something they specialized in.

All eyes turned on the warriors of darkness and light took over the stage and dazzled everyone. They were completely in synch with each other as only virtual siblings could be.

When the song finished, everyone broke out into applause and the Legendary Tamers took a bow and went back to where Yamaki, Riley and Talley were waiting for them.

"You guys did well." Riley complimented, beaming. "No one could take their eyes off of you."

"That's just like what we Legendary Tamers are. We catch attention wherever we go." Ryo joked and they all snickered.

The excitement diffused as everyone crowded the dance floor again. Ryo managed to convince Rika to dance with him a few more times and Yamaki and Riley went onto the dance floor as well.

Nyx tried to avoid the girls that tried to ask him for a dance as he settled in a corner, just to observe,

Artemis had her own share of admirers but she ignored them as she went to the punch table.

"Here, let me get that for you." A voice called out and he poured a cup of the fruit punch for her. Artemis smiled gratefully and accepted it. Looking at the guy, she found it was someone dressed as Sinbad.

"Thank you." She said, taking a sip and observing the dance floor.

"You danced beautifully out there." The boy complimented and Artemis blushed modestly.

"It was my partner that really lit up the stage." She responded with a shy smile.

"It takes two to tango." The boy pointed out and Artemis took the point with a small nod.

"Touché." She replied with a wry smile.

"Would you care to dance?" the boy asked. Artemis thought it over for a moment before she accepted. She didn't think he was like the other boys from the way he spoke.

"Aren't you going to go out there, Nyx?" Henry asked, joining his friend. Nyx was staring at Jeri and Toki the entire time.

"And dance with who, Henry?" he asked with a dry laugh.

"Will I do?" a voice called out and the two Legendary Tamers turned to see Shiho standing there. Nyx stared at her from head to foot.

She was wearing a black tube top that connected to the sleek back skirt that had a large slit on the right side that showed off a part of her leg. She had black boots that went half way up her shins. A fang popped out of her mouth, revealing her as a vampire.

Nyx couldn't help the wave of attraction that coursed through him at the sight of her before he smirked.

Shiho walked close to Nyx before whispering in his ear.

"What a gallant knight we have, but is he so noble that he can't fall under this vampire's spell?"

His smirk only grew.

"I'm not that noble." He said before kissing the back of her hand. Henry observed this silently, bemused. He'd never seen Nyx act so confident with himself or even flirt with a girl.

"Mind introducing your friend, Nyx?" Henry asked curiously.

"This is Shiho, we've been acquainted with each other since the tournament." Nyx introduced and Shiho bowed in greeting.

"Come on, Nyx." Shiho said and she pulled the boy onto the dance floor.

Nyx caught a lot of attention as he finally came onto the dance floor and many people wondered who his companion was… not that he'd tell anyone but his close friends.

Jeri felt slight jealousy as she saw more chemistry in Nyx's eyes towards Shiho than there'd been for her during the few times he'd glanced at her. Toki was just jealous that Nyx was stealing away all the attention again.

So, his resulting outburst was not so surprising.

After a couple of dances, Toki had managed to bring him and Jeri close enough to Nyx and Shiho before he acted. He literally forced the Legendary Tamer and his partner apart before glaring at Nyx.

"You think you're some big hotshot, don't you? Just because you're a Legendary Tamer… You think you can strut around with your filthy who-" Toki never got to finish the sentence as Nyx lifted him off his feet and dangled him with feral eyes glaring.

"Insult me all you like… insult her and I will show no mercy." Nyx said and he literally threw Toki out of the room. There were many hoots of agreement to Nyx's actions, though he knew it was more because he held more influence over the wealthy Toki. If it hadn't been for that, they would have supported Toki just like they had in that one gym class.

Toki glared hatefully before stalking away, humiliated.

"Sorry about that." Nyx apologized to Shiho.

"No matter. You defended me, so that's all that matters." She said with a smile, placing a hand on his cheek. He placed his over hers and they walked off the dance floor together and away from prying eyes.

"I didn't know you were going to be here." Nyx said to Shiho as they went to the balcony.

"Why wouldn't I be? I'm as much an inhabitant of this city as everybody else." She teased him.

"It's just that… I don't see you outside of our normal meetings. I know where you live… but I don't wish to intrude." Nyx said with a sheepish smile. Shiho chuckled.

"You know you can come to me for anything. That's what friends are for, right?" she said and the Hazard Tamer nodded.

"Right." Nyx agreed, staring into Shiho's eyes, lost in them. She met his gaze evenly and slowly they leaned forward and shared a kiss, caught in the moment.

A moment later, Shiho's eyes snapped open and she broke away, startled.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have done that…" Nyx apologized, realizing he'd taken too many liberties. The shock still held the girl though, and she ran off, leaving the Legendary Tamer to curse himself.

As she ran into the night, one thought went through Shiho's mind.

'_I was supposed to guide him… not fall in love with him!_'


	15. Stranded

I'm finally back with another chapter and I apologize for the long wait. (I think it's my longest break between chapters yet). I'm hoping that I can try to update faster (if I don't, I'll have my beta/sister, bug me until I do.) Things are going to start getting more serious in the story, so I hope I can remain focused and do it justice.

I hope you all enjoy the chapter.

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Chapter 15

A week had passed since the Masquerade and Takato hadn't even gotten a glimpse of Shiho. At one point, he'd actually gone to her home and tried to talk to her, but she didn't even acknowledge that he was out there when he knew that she was in there.

Takato was beginning to resign himself to the possibility that he had shattered any chances of them even remaining friends. His mistake had come with a big price.

No matter what the other Legendary Tamers tried, they couldn't get Takato to admit to what was bothering him. He wasn't ready yet to tell them about Shiho, though Henry did have his suspicions.

Meanwhile, Artemis was slightly preoccupied herself, thinking about the Masquerade and the strangely insightful boy she met. She'd been under the impression that most of the boys in the city were a little… too full of themselves to actually use their brains once in a while.

She never did get to find out who he was, though he was vaguely familiar.

Takato and Artemis' airy dispositions weren't missed during school and there were discussions over what was going on. As ironic as it was, though Takato was made fun of a lot, it did lead to him being well known in the school, enough to elicit attention every once in a while.

"Are you okay?" Makoto asked Artemis one day. She raised an eyebrow at his concern, but remembered her promise to herself to at least try to get to know the boy and be civil.

"I'm fine… just thinking." She said, brushing it off. Makoto then took a surreptitious look at Takato.

"What's wrong with Takato? He looks like he just lost his best friend? You two didn't get into a fight or anything, did you?" Makoto queried in concern. He knew how much Takato's friendship meant to Artemis. He'd seen just how close they were.

"We haven't fought. We're as good friends as we've always been. What makes you think that he's acting like this because of me? We've all been trying to find out what's bothering him, but he won't tell us." Artemis said.

Makoto remarked as he joined her on the way to their next class.

"Girl problem?" Artemis asked intrigued.

"Well, normally a boy only looks that lost when he's love-sick or something. As I'm assuming Takato is straight, I'd say it's a girl he's thinking about." Makoto deduced with a wry smile.

"But what girl?" Artemis asked before realizing that was a stupid question. "Jeri."

Of course, her realization was wrong, but that would have been anybody else's guess as well. No one knew about Takato's growing attraction to Shiho, in spite of his fading feelings for Jeri.

Suddenly, their D-Arcs suddenly started beeping.

"Great… a bio-emergence." Artemis said to herself before running off in the direction of the arriving anomaly.

"Wait, I'll come with you!" Makoto said, thinking that it'd be best if she got some back up. The last major digimon to pop up had targeted her specifically after all.

When they arrived at the Digital Field, they realized two things: one, no other Tamers seemed to be coming; and two, the digimon that was supposedly bio-emerging was no where in sight as of yet.

"I really hate it when this happens." Artemis muttered, as she, Lucemon, Makoto and Gabumon looked around in search of the digimon.

"Look…" Gabumon said, pointing at a glowing green orb in the center of the field.

"A digital portal." Makoto said in surprise. They started to back away from it, but that was when the Wild One chose to present itself.

"In you get!" it said gleefully, pushing Artemis, Makoto and their partners into the portal.

Artemis let out a squeal of surprise before it turned into a loud scream as she and Makoto free fell towards the ground in the Digital World. Her D-Arc glowed as Lucemon began to digivolve.

"Lucemon Digivolve to… Piddomon!"

Piddomon caught Artemis, Makoto and Gabumon and slowly placed them on the ground.

"Everyone alright?" the Champion level digimon questioned and the two Tamers nodded.

"So… we're in the Digital World and no one knows… Great." Artemis scowled to herself, brushing herself off.

"Isn't there a way to alert them?" Makoto asked, not entirely too sure what went on with the Hypnos crew.

"Yeah, but it may take a while for them to locate us and prepare a portal to bring us back." Artemis said as she worked on the message.

"So, what do we do now?" Makoto asked after she finished.

"We wait. It'd be best not to move so much so that Yamaki-san can locate us easier." Artemis said as she started working to send the SOS signal to Hypnos.

Makoto sighed as he sat down. He might as well get settled. They had a long wait ahead of them.

Takato, Henry, Ryo and Rika were called into the control room in Hypnos by a very serious looking Yamaki.

"What's going on?" Henry asked his father, eyes wide in confusion.

"Artemis and Makoto Kiriya have been trapped in the Digital World. Finding their coordinates and arranging for their return will take a while. For all we know, someone intended for them to be dragged away from you guys and perhaps they are not done. Be alert now and tread carefully if there is another bio-emergence. We can't afford to lose the rest of you while we try to save these two." Yamaki said.

"What can we do to help?" Takato inquired, worried about his best friend.

"Help the Monster Makers with trying to locate them. They'll need all the help that they can get." Yamaki said and the Legendary Tamers headed off. Yamaki sighed in frustration and sank onto a chair. Riley started massaging his shoulders, looking concerned.

"Are you okay, Mitsuo?" she questioned softly.

"I'll be okay the moment we get Artemis and Makoto back. How could this have happened under my watch?" Yamaki groaned.

"Nobody could have possibly expected this sort of tactic to be used against us. We'll get them back, you'll see." Riley said in encouragement.

"I hope you're right, Riley." Yamaki said, enclosing her hand in his.

Makoto sighed in complete boredom. It had been an hour already and so far it didn't look they were going to be found anytime soon.

"This isn't how I'd expected to spend my afternoon…" Makoto mused. Artemis gave him a dry look.

"I don't think any of us did." She said.

Makoto was about to counter her retort when the Lucemon and Gabumon bristled.

"What's wrong, Gabumon?" Makoto asked.

"Something's coming." The digimon answered his Tamer, just as a large group of Karatemon started heading for them.

"Oh shit." Artemis said, grabbing Makoto's hand. "Run!"

Makoto broke out of his astonishment as he and the digimon followed Artemis as they fled from the large amount of Ultimate level digimon.

"Shouldn't we at least try to fight them?" Makoto called out as they ran.

"There's too many of them. Even you must know a fruitless venture when you come across one. Fighting them would be suicide." Artemis said.

They ran for a while, until Artemis tripped and hurt her ankle. Makoto quickly pulled her up and continued moving. His eyes scanned for a place to hide. They needed to think up a strategy…

His eyes fell on the lake nearby. Karetemon were flying digimon, they couldn't easily follow them into the water. Their advantage would go away.

"Head's up." He warned Artemis and he leapt into the lake. Artemis escaped Makoto's grasp and they continued to dive deeper until they found what looked to be the entrance to an underground cave.

They surfaced to see a small cavern that looked like it would give them adequate protection for the time being.

"Thank Kami that the Digital World allows us to breathe underwater, or we'd be sunk." Makoto sighed as the two Tamers and their digimon climbed out of the water.

"That was some quick thinking." Artemis complimented before she winced from a pain in her ankle.

"Are you okay?" Makoto questioned, looking concerned.

"I'm fine." Artemis said in a slightly stubborn voice, not wanting to admit that there was something wrong. Makoto didn't believe her and as she sat down, he took a look at her ankle, to see that it was swollen.

"That doesn't look like fine to me." Makoto said hotly. Artemis glared at him for the intrusion.

"You had no right to do that." She said. Makoto matched her glare.

"You're hurt and trying to deny it. In the kind of situation we're in, it's good for teammates to know when the other is hurt so they can help them out!" he replied calmly. Artemis just glared and they started arguing again, not noticing that their loud voices were causing a disturbance in the cavern.

The two digimon tried to call them to attention about it, but it was too late as rocks started to fall.

"Abunai!" Makoto yelled as he tried to shield Artemis. They were already being separated from their partners.

The rocks continued to fall down, slowly burying the cavern.

-

I hope that chapter was satisfactory. Sorry for the cliffhanger but it did seem like a good place to end.

I also have one thing to ask of you.

I'm giving you the choice on what kind of form you'd like Takato to take for his next transformation or two. I figured maybe a bit of variety from my normal appearance change ideas would be nice. Feel free to leave some suggestions.


	16. Revalation

I've got another chapter for you. Hope you enjoy it.

Ligerxt5: Your idea does sound fun (gotta love the idea of Takato with katanas). It's definitely different than any of the ideas I've had for him. It's an interesting idea to be put into consideration.

Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon. Artemis belongs to my sister and Makoto, Toki, Shihi (well her name is from Detective Conan but everything else about her is mine) and Jiro belong to me.

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Chapter 16

Artemis slowly opened her eyes to see Makoto hovering over her. For some reason, the rocks above them weren't descending on them anymore.

"What's going on?" she inquired in confusion. "A barrier...?" She asked remembering the last time she'd miraculously escaped harm.

She noticed Makoto looked a little stressed. He was beginning to sweat. "Are you okay?"

"Been better…" Makoto said with a grunt and Artemis' eyes widened in realization.

"You're the one with the power to create barriers… But...I thought only Legendary Tamers had those abilities." She said with a frowned in confusion.

"That means…" She gasped in realization and looked up at Makoto from beneath him with wide eyes.

_"You're_ the sixth Legendary Tamer?!?" 

Makoto didn't answer, still trying to maintain the barrier.

Artemis put her bewilderment aside for the time being. Her concern was far greater. She took out her handkerchief and wiped the sweat off Makoto's face, hoping to at least be able to reduce his discomfort. She didn't like how she wasn't able to do much else to help him.

"Artemis! Makoto! Are you okay?" Lucemon's voice called out. The two digimon had dived into the water just in time to dodge the onslaught of rocks. Now they were trying to move the rocks to search for their Tamers.

Makoto and Artemis looked at each other and nodded, their D-Arcs glowing.

"Lucemon Digivolve to… Piddomon!"

"Gabumon Digivolve to… Garurumon!"

Slowly the two Champion level digimon started moving the rocks out of the way until they found the two Tamers.

Once they had managed to get the threatening rocks away from the Tamers, Makoto relaxed the barrier. He panted heavily.

"That took a lot of energy." Makoto said, wiping the sweat off his brow.

Now that the danger was out of the way, Artemis felt it was time to confront Makoto. But she didn't want the digimon to be there when she did. This was a personal confrontation. So she requested them to move away for a bit before she turned to Makoto.

"So, you're the sixth Legendary Tamer." She said flatly, crossing her arms. Makoto scratched the back of his head.

"I guess I am." He said. Artemis' eyes sparked at the nonchalant response.

"And you didn't bother to tell anyone from Hypnos about this?" she accused.

"I just figured it out a little while ago!" Makoto argued back. "That incident at the café and at Riley's apartment was the first time I displayed those powers and that's when I came to know I was a Legendary Tamer. I was still coming to terms with it up until now. You don't expect me to have just come out and told everyone, did you? You all get a lot of attention and responsibilities that I need to get a gist of before I was willing to come out on my new status."

Artemis was slightly surprised by Makoto's answer. In a way, it was almost like why Henry had remained silent for so long. She couldn't fault him for wanting to at least keep a bit of normalcy for a little while longer before things began changing.

"Well I guess that explains a few things. Like why you are able to surpass the normal limits of the Digimon Tamers (which is usually Champion level) and why the two remaining crests seem to match you so well: Protection and Pride." She said,

After a bit of an awkward silence, Artemis thought it was important to address the problem of the Karetenmon. She didn't know if they'd abandoned their desire to finish the two Tamers off.

"If we're ever going to get out of this, we're going to need a strategy of sorts." She said, a thoughtful expression on her face.

They remained in silence, trying to think of something with little luck.

Meanwhile, Takato was having a nervous breakdown back in the Real World. Yamaki wasn't allowing any of them to go to the Digital World to find the two lost Tamers whose signal had been lost just as it had been grasped, signifying that something must have happened.

"Calm down, Takato." Guilmon said, trying to get Takato to stop pacing outside of the Hypnos building.

"How can I? Artemis is out there with only Makoto at her side and I have no idea if she's safe!" he exclaimed, worried for the girl who had taken her place as his "little sister."

"Well, simply pacing won't do her any good." Another voice called out. Takato whirled around to see Shiho approaching him, an unreadable look on her face.

Takato's chaotic feelings towards the girl returned but his worry for Artemis currently took precedence.

"Well, what else can I do? Yamaki-san won't let us go to the Digital World to find Artemis and Makoto." He said. "Everyone is doing something but there's nothing I can do on that front…"

"I can take you to the Digital World." Shiho said suddenly and Takato gave her a shocked look.

"How? Hypnos is in control of all the portals." He said, frowning.

"They have control on all but one." Shiho countered. "There is a portal hidden completely undetected by Hypnos monitors. I can lead you to it."

Takato remained silent for a moment before a grateful smile appeared on his face.

"If you did that for me… I don't know how I'd thank you." He said.

A small, slightly strained smile appeared on Shiho's face.

"There is no need for that." She replied. All she wanted was to help him in what ways she could. She started walking and Takato and Guilmon followed.

As they walked away from Hypnos, Henry caught sight of them through the window.

'_Takato's with that friend of his again… where are they going when we have this crisis on our hands?_' Henry pondered with a contemplative frown. Pushing that thought to the side, he focused on trying to locate Artemis and Makoto to bring them back home.

Artemis and Makoto hadn't had much success in thinking a way out of their situation but figured perhaps the use of Makoto's barrier may help keep the Karetenmon at bay while they set up their own offense.

Thus, they soon found themselves heading back from the underwater cavern and to the surface.

Upon surfacing, they saw that the Karetenmon were nowhere to be seen.

Makoto climbed out first before offering a hand to Artemis. Artemis blinked slightly in surprise before accepting the hand and coming out of the water.

"Do you reckon they gave up?" Makoto inquired as they straightened up.

"We can't be sure just yet." Artemis responded, looking around.

"Ballistic Feathers!" several voices called out and razor sharp black feathers headed their way.

Makoto instantly put up a barrier to keep the feathers out while he and Artemis slashed the blue card through their D-Arcs.

"**Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!**"

"Piddomon Matrix Digivolve to… LordHolyAngemon!"

"Garurumon Matrix Digivolve to… WereGarurumon!"

The two Ultimate level digimon went to fight the Karetenmon now that their Tamers were ensured safety through the barrier.

"Heaven's Gate!" LordHolyAngemon yelled, sucking a couple of the Karetenmon into his gate.

"Wolf Claw!" WereGarurumon yelled, slashing through his own opponent.

Unfortunately, there were still quite a lot of Karetenmon still left.

"Do you think we'll be able to defeat them all?" Makoto questioned as he and Artemis tried to get out of the line of fire. They had a few Karetenmon trying to get them but Makoto's barrier kept them safe until LordHolyAngemon and WereGarurumon took care of the threats.

It seemed to be going quite well until Artemis noticed Makoto was sweating again. The stress of maintaining the barrier was beginning to get to him.

"Hang in there, Makoto." She urged him, feeling worried and frustrated that she couldn't help him somehow.

Makoto tried his hardest but soon he ran out of energy and the barrier dispersed.

The Karetenmon saw this and tried to use it to their advantage, keeping LordHolyAngemon and WereGarurumon busy as they aimed attacks at the two Legendary Tamers.

"Crow Swords!" Several Karetenmon yelled, lasers shooting at the two Tamers.

Makoto wrapped his arms around Artemis, wishing to protect her even when he wasn't able to summon a barrier anymore.

Artemis closed her eyes tight and her hands clenched Makoto's shoulders tightly as she braced herself for the impending attack.

"Atomic Blaster!" another voice called out and twin pairs of red light shot out and canceled the attack.

Makoto and Artemis looked over to see WarGrowlmon standing nearby with Nyx and Shiho sitting on his shoulders.

Nyx and Shiho leapt off and approached Makoto and Artemis.

"I believe you'll need this." Nyx said with a small smile as he handed Artemis her bow and arrows. "I figured you'd need it."

Artemis beamed at Nyx, thankful to see him.

"Thanks." She said, glad that now she would actually be able to do something about the Karetenmon.

Nyx and Artemis helped LordHolyAngemon, WereGarurumon and WarGrowlmon against the Karetenmon.

Shiho helped the worn Makoto head towards a safe area.

"Who are you?" Makoto questioned, eyeing the girl curiously.

"A friend of Nyx's and a guide to all of you Legendary Tamers." Shiho responded. Makoto's eyes widened.

"You mean you know that I'm a Legendary Tamer?" he queried, surprised.

"I knew who would be a Legendary Tamer even before they knew themselves. The Sovereigns told me." Shiho responded.

"You speak with the Sovereigns?" Makoto gaped. Shiho nodded.

"You can say they're my employers." She declared before she looked back at the battle. It had been turned with Nyx and WarGrowlmon's arrival and Artemis being given her weapon.

When the battle ended, Nyx and Artemis cheered and Artemis hugged the boy tightly.

For some reason that made Makoto feel slightly jealous but he pushed that feeling aside. He knew Artemis and Nyx were close. Almost as close as Artemis was with Takato.

"You did great out there." Nyx complimented Artemis. "You had me worried sick, you know."

"Sorry about that, Nii-san." Artemis said. "But you came through for us in the end."

"I'd never leave you to fend for yourself. I've got your back after all." Nyx grinned.

"How did you get here anyways, Nyx?" Artemis asked, curious.

"Shiho helped me." Nyx said, gesturing to the blonde who was approaching alongside Makoto. Artemis and Shiho stared at each other curiously before Artemis held her hand out to Shiho. Shiho grasped it and shook it with a smile.

"It's nice to meet you, Winthrop-san. You mean a lot to Nyx." Shiho said. "I'm Shiho Miyano. A… friend… of his."

"It's nice to meet you too." Artemis said with a smile. She silently wondered why Nyx never mentioned Shiho to her. She could tell that Shiho meant a lot to Nyx just by the way he looked at her. The feelings she felt from him were even stronger for Shiho than what she'd felt from him in regards to Jeri. Not that she could blame him with Jeri now dating his worst enemy and showing interest in his alter ego.

"Have you got any word from Yamaki-san yet?" Makoto asked as he realized it had been quite a few hours since they'd made their SOS. Artemis shook her head. "So how long before we actually get back."

"I can help you get back, using the same way Nyx and I came here." Shiho said. The three Legendary Tamers breathed a sigh of relief.

Before they left, Artemis thought it would be best to inform Nyx of her findings on Makoto.

"Nyx, there is something I need to tell you." Artemis said and Nyx gave her a curious look.

"What is it?" he inquired. Artemis gave Makoto an inquisitive look. She wanted to know if he was ready for the truth to come out. He nodded.

"It's about Makoto. He's the sixth Legendary Tamer." She said. Nyx looked shocked and Artemis quickly filled him in on everything that happened.

Makoto fidgeted slightly, disconcerted by the critical look Nyx was giving him.

"I guess it makes sense." Nyx said. "I can think of no one better."

Makoto gave Nyx a surprised look at that. From all of the other meetings he'd had with Nyx, he'd always seemed cool and distant as if he didn't really like him…

"Thank you." He finally said, pleased that Nyx approved. He was someone close to Artemis and thus, his opinion mattered a lot to Makoto.

"Since you revealed your secret to us, I think it's only fair that I share my own." Nyx said and slowly, he changed his form back to his original one.

Makoto stared in stunned silence as Takato approached him and stuck his hand out.

"Welcome to the team."

-----


	17. Henry's Time to Shine

Hey, I've finally got another chapter out. I'm sorry for the long wait. I lost my creative edge for a bit and it took me a while to find it again. Got a little engulfed in my interest in Bleach that it pushed out all thoughts of other animes sheepish smile I've found a way to flush that out enough to focus on this again, though, so no worries.

I hope this chapter is to your liking.

Chapter Seventeen

It had taken a bit before Makoto had gotten used to the fact that Takato was in fact Nyx but when he actually thought about it, it had made sense. He finally heard the truth of the incidents that had left Takato as an outcast and he'd apologized profusely for his misconception. This, by itself, raised him a few points in Artemis' book.

Takato was still mooning over Shiho, who after returning them to the Real World had made a very awkward exit, but the intention was clear. She wanted to be away from him. That depressed him more than anything. He didn't want to lose another friend like he did Kazu. Especially when Shiho had begun to mean so much to him.

It was Henry who was in the greatest state of confusion, however. Shiho was a great mystery to him. Just how much did she know about them? And how could Takato trust her whole-heartedly. How had the two met? Why did Shiho know that Takato was Nyx? How did she have access to a non-Hypnos monitored portal? There were just too many questions that were left unanswered and the inquisitive boy just didn't like that.

However, the ever growing amount of questions reached an all-time high one night as Henry had the most peculiar dream…

_Countless images passed before Henry's eyes: a fierce dragon that looked like a warped Guilmon, the crest of Chaos glowing malignantly, Takato's enraged eyes, a stranger's malicious smile, Shiho's remorseful expression, and there was a distinct sense of fear, betrayal and overall, unadulterated rage._

Henry woke up drenched in sweat with the images replaying in his mind over and over again. He just couldn't shake them.

"What was that all about?" he wondered out loud, feeling very uneasy.

"What was what about, Henry?" Terriermon inquired sleepily.

"Nothing really, just a bad dream." Henry responded, not wanting to worry his partner.

"If you say so." Terriermon said, still half-asleep. Henry gave a small smile as he watched his diminutive partner snuggle into his bed and go to sleep once more.

'_Please tell me that was just a dream and there was no real meaning to it…_' he thought 

to himself. The feeling he got from the dream was hardly pleasant and he didn't like the idea of it becoming reality. It was a seriously bad omen.

The next day, Henry was spending the day with his family, taking a break from the normal work at Hypnos. It had been a long time since the family had been able to really be together since Henry had joined the ranks of the Legendary Tamers and he was thankful for the opportunity to be with them.

"So what do you want to do first today, Henry?" Suzie asked, excited to be able to spend time with her favorite brother.

"We'll do whatever you want us to do, Suzie." Henry said with a bright smile.

"You spoil her, Henry." Janyuu commented, smiling as well at Suzie's excited cheer.

"I'm entitled to, aren't I?" Henry asked dryly, as he ruffled Suzie's hair fondly.

"So, how are things going with the other Legendary Tamers?" Henry's mother, Mayumi, queried as she served breakfast.

"It's going fine. Now that we've found the last member of our team, things have become easier. We figured out what roles Nyx, Makoto and Artemis play through those runed messages. Nyx is the anomaly, the ever changing force. He's basically the powerhouse of the group. Makoto is the Protector, providing defense in a way we once lacked. And Artemis is a supporter of sorts. She raises morale and gives the strength needed to go into battle. How exactly these three roles are to be interpreted is completely up to them." Henry said. He liked discussing things about digimon with his father. Who better to discuss it with than one of the original Monster Makers?

"Well that's interesting…" Janyuu mused before looking back at Henry. "Any ideas on your own role?"

Henry shrugged.

"I'm not too sure." He said. "But I think I'm about to break through the message, so it shouldn't be too long before I figure it out."

"Of course you'll figure it out, Nii-chan." Suzie said enthusiastically while giggling as she ate her food.

Henry marveled at how his 13 year old sister still acted so innocent. He'd figured it would have faded slightly by now but he was thankful that it was still present. He dreaded the day that she would have to come face to face with the harsh realities of life. He'd protect her from it as long as he could.

After they finished breakfast, Henry turned to Suzie.

"So what do you want to do?" he inquired.

She was about to respond when suddenly a blast of some sort blasted through the window and singed the wall of the dining room.

Mayumi cried out in alarm while Rinchei and Jaarin stood up, startled. Terriermon and Lopmon were completely alert.

"What's going on?" Janyuu questioned, eyes wide.

"It's a digimon." Terriermon said. "And it seems like it's a pretty nasty one at that."

Henry got up so he and Terriermon could confront the menace that was threatening their home. Suzie got up too but Henry gave her a sharp look.

"Stay here, Suzie, with the family. This is too dangerous." Henry said. Suzie looked ready to protest but the look in Henry's eyes gave no room for argument.

Suzie pouted and slinked back to where Jaarin and Rinchei were as she watched Henry and Terriermon head off for battle.

'_Why won't he trust me?_' she thought sadly, clutching Lopmon to her tightly.

Henry and Terriermon rushed out of the house and they were forced to dive to the side as another blast came their way.

When they were finally able to see just what was attacking them, they gaped.

It was an Infermon, and if Henry remembered correctly from the Digimon movie, that spelled trouble.

"Just what we needed right now." He said sarcastically with a frown.

"I think I'm rubbing off on you, Henry." Terriermon snarked as they dodged another blast.

"Now is not the time for your jokes, Terriermon." Henry responded, taking out the digivolution card. "**Digimodify! Digivolution Activate!"**

"Terriermon Digivolve to… Gargomon!"

Infermon sneered at the now Champion level digimon. The Virus digimon looked enthralled at the idea of a worthy prey at hand.

"Give me what you've got." Gargomon challenged, pointing his gun arms at the Ultimate 

level digimon.

"Don't provoke him, Gargomon!" Henry reprimanded with a groan as he took out his kodachi as he headed to aid his partner in battle.

"Cable Crusher!" Infermon yelled as he threw yet another blast at the Tamer and his digimon.

They dodged and Gargomon attacked.

"Gargo Laser!"

Gargomon was unrelenting as he shot at Infermon but it didn't seem to be doing too much more than giving the Virus a few scratches.

"This isn't working…" Henry groaned as Infermon burst out and tackled Gargomon. Henry went to his partner's rescue, managing to cut into Infermon's side with the kodachi, only to be knocked away roughly. He let out a yelp of pain.

As Infermon turned to try to do away with Henry, Gargomon attacked again.

"Leave Henry alone!" Gargomon yelled, punching Infermon, who skidded away with a very displeased grunt.

"He didn't seem to appreciate that much." Henry mused, straightening up slowly from where he'd landed. Infermon looked even angrier than before and seemed to be even more vicious now.

"Network Grenade!" Infermon yelled, withdrawing into his shell and launching himself toward Gargomon.

Gargomon cried out in pain and created a crater from the impact with a nearby building.

"Gargomon!" Henry cried out in concern, realizing Champion level just wouldn't cut it. "**Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!"**

"Gargomon Matrix Digivolve to… Rapidmon!"

"Now we're talking." Rapidmon said excitedly as he took to the air. "Rapid Fire!"

"Cable Crusher!" Infermon yelled, canceling out the attack.

"You won't win!" Henry yelled, aiming to attack Infermon again, but Infermon surprised him and grabbed hold of him. Henry was forced to drop his kodachi as he was held in front of Infermon like a shield for Rapidmon. Rapidmon had no choice but to stop attacking Infermon.

"That's a dirty trick!" Rapidmon cried out, his worry for Henry clear in his voice.

"Well, you shouldn't have left your Tamer so vulnerable in the first place." Infermon gloated, a malignant glint in his eyes.

"Damn it…" Henry groaned, thinking that he and Rapidmon were done for.

"Bunny Blades!" a familiar voice called out and two axe-like things struck Infermon from behind. Infermon cried out in pain and dropped Henry who quickly ran away from Infermon, grabbing his kodachi as he ran.

He glanced over to see Suzie standing nearby with a determined glare on her face. Antylamon had been the one to strike Infermon.

"Leave my brother alone!" Suzie cried.

"I thought I told you to stay with the family." Henry reprimanded. Suzie glared at him.

"I wasn't about to leave you to deal with this digimon alone. I'm a Tamer too, you know. I have every right to be here." She said feistily. Henry realized she was right but it didn't mean he had to like it.

"Just… try to stay out of the line of fire." He said finally before turning to Rapidmon.

"It's time to take him down!" he cried, wanting to finish this as fast as he could so as to not put Suzie in any more danger than she already was.

"Fine with me." Rapidmon said as he and Antylamon started to work together to get rid of the dangerous Virus type digimon.

"Tri-Beam!"

"Bunny Blades!"

Infermon cried out in pain as data began to flow out of his wounds from the combined assault by the two tamed Ultimates.

"This is far from over…" Infermon promised as he began to disappear. "This is just the beginning!"

Henry felt disconcerted at the warning. He had expected something like that but the dream he'd had made the threat all that more troubling. He feared things would be drastically awry if something wasn't done soon.

Suzie wasn't nearly as worried and rejoiced at the victory they had dealt upon the enemy.

"We did it, Nii-chan!" she exclaimed happily and Henry found his worries temporarily washed away. Suzie's happiness was infectious.

"Yeah, we did." He agreed as Suzie hugged him. He returned it as Rapidmon and Antylamon regressed to their Rookie forms.

Janyuu, Mayumi, Jaarin and Rinchei came out of the semi-damaged house.

"So you defeated the digimon." Janyuu said with pride. "Good work, both of you."

"Thanks." Henry and Suzie said together, wide smiles on their face.

"So much for a spending time with the family for the day…" Henry sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Don't say that Henry. We can still spend time with each other." Janyuu said. "We just have to deal with some of the Hypnos things first. That should only take an hour or two and then we're home free."

"I hope so." Henry said, still holding onto Suzie. He had to admit it, even though he had tried to keep Suzie from being in the battle, she had saved his butt out there. He couldn't help but feel proud of her.

"You were great out there, Suzie. You really have become a strong Tamer." He complimented. Suzie beamed.

"Thanks, Nii-chan. That means a lot coming from you." She said.


	18. Feelings and Some Bad News

Chapter Eighteen

Sorry it took me so long to update and this may not be the best chapter to make up for the long wait. I guess I got a little disillusioned about the story with time but I'm going to force myself back on track.

Also, I have another account, **Night Shade 1427**, where I have a Bleach/Harry Potter crossover called Life, Death and Magic. Admittedly, it's this story that deterred me slightly from this one, but I'll try balancing them out now.

**Disclaimer: **I don't own Digimon. But Artemis, Makoto, Toki, Jiro and Shiho are mine (or my sister's).

--

Chapter EighteenFeelings and Some Bad News

Takato sat in class, totally bored.

Artemis and Makoto were gradually becoming closer as Artemis actually let him in and they began to get to know more about each other. Makoto and Takato were now friends too, but they decided to downplay it at first as to not make people suspicious. It wouldn't make sense to most how people who didn't seem to get along suddenly became friends. Well, for people in Takato's situation anyways.

Even though Takato was slowly finding himself falling deeper in love with Shiho (even with her avoiding him), he still held some feelings for Jeri, his first love. The fact that she was still with Toki bothered him to no end. Toki never ceased trying to rub it in either.

"You alright there, Takato?" Henry inquired, seeing the dull look in Takato's eyes.

"I'm fine, just bored." The crimson eyed boy responded with a sigh. "Things have become pretty routine around here, haven't they? Toki's still a jerk, Kazu's still backstabbing us, Jeri is still with Toki,… and Shiho is still not talking to me." Takato said.

Henry gave Takato a concerned look.

"What happened between the two of you? The both of you looked pretty happy together at the dance." Henry asked before amending the question. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to."

Takato looked down, looking troubled.

"I made a mistake…" he admitted, sighing.

"What kind of mistake?" Henry queried.

"I kissed her…" Takato said after a minute. Henry's jaw dropped.

"But I thought you liked Jeri…" the silver-eyed Tamer said in a daze.

"I thought I did too…" Takato said, scratching the back of his head. After a moment, Henry got over his shock.

"I guess we can consider this a good thing, can't we?" Henry commented and Takato gave him a quizzical look.

"What do you mean?" he asked, cocking his head to the side.

"You're moving on, Takato. It doesn't seem like your relationship would go anywhere with Jeri, no offense." Henry added hastily at the slightly indignant look on Takato's face. "It's just that… she's with Toki now, your worst enemy. If she's so blind as to choose a jerk like that over you… she's not worth it. Maybe these feelings you have for Shiho are a blessing in disguise."

Takato looked thoughtful.

"Perhaps you're right…" Takato mused before sighing in depression. "But she's still not talking to me."

"Have you ever considered the idea that she's just as confused as you?" Henry suggested. "You two took a step way too early. You two are still sorting out your feelings for one another and yet you kissed. That's bound to confuse anyone."

Takato blinked. When Henry said it like that…

Takato smiled his first real smile in a long while.

"Thanks, Henry. That really helped." He said, feeling much better. Perhaps his situation with Shiho could be resolved after all.

"What are you two boys talking about?" Jeri asked, coming over. Though she was dating Toki, she still tried to talk with her friends.

"Oh, nothing much. Typical boy talk…" Takato lied with a tight-lipped smile. No way was he going to tell her what they'd been talking about. Jeri looked a little taken aback by Takato's reluctance to open up.

"O-okay." She said before walking away, feeling just a little hurt.

Takato couldn't help feel a slight bit of bitterness towards Jeri for having chosen to be with Toki. He was clearly wrong for her…

He quickly shook his head. It had been her choice and now she'd have to deal with the consequences of it sooner or later.

Unknown to him, one of his crests glowed faintly… but this time, it wasn't the crest of Chaos but the crest of Balance that was responding to Takato.

Shiho watched Takato with his friends in the park, a look of longing on her face. She'd come to term with her feelings for him but she wasn't willing yet to admit it to him. She knew of what he felt for Jeri and thought that there wasn't any chance of him being able to reciprocate her feelings. So, she was content with just watching over him like she was supposed to. After all, she was there to make sure he was happy and not prone to releasing his unpredictable rage that she'd been warned about.

"You care a lot for Takato, don't you?" a voice called out from behind her. Shiho whirled around in alarm to see Henry standing there, a calm look on his face. She frowned slightly, giving him a guarded look.

"I don't see how that is any of your concern." She responded coolly, crossing her arms.

"Takato's my best friend. I want what's best for him. I know there's something going on between you and him… don't deny it." Henry said as Shiho opened her mouth to say something. "He told me what happened between you two… and it's not going to get settled from you two avoiding each other like this. You need to work this out."

Shiho looked away, looking deep in thought. Henry just sighed.

"Just think about what I said, okay? I'm just trying to help." He said before walking away to rejoin his friends.

Later that day, all of the Tamers were gathered at Hypnos, coming face to face with a rather solemn looking Yamaki.

"What's going on, Yamaki?" Ryo asked with a small frown.

"The higher ups believe that all of you are… too inexperienced to be fully functional Legendary Tamers. They're sending someone here to investigate and give their final verdict. If you prove yourself, they won't bother you again. But if the investigator finds you all to be inefficient… they will take you and force you through a long and painstaking training course that will take you from your home for quite a while." Yamaki stated, crossing his arms.

"What right do they have to judge us? We're doing just fine!" Rika exclaimed, sounding displeased.

"It doesn't appear that way to them. You just recently found your last member and one of you is still keeping his identity under wraps. There's also the fact that you don't have the loyalty of all this region's Tamers as you should. Yes, I know there are reasons for it, but they won't accept them. The only way we can get through this is to prove to them that you all are a well functioning team that can overcome any obstacle thrown at you… and get the other Tamers to accept you as their guides in embracing their responsibilities." Yamaki said.

"We'll just have to do that then." Makoto said, sounding determined. "We'll prove them wrong about us." Yamaki managed a smirk.

"That's what I wanted to hear." He said, pleased. "The inspector will be coming in a few days. I suggest you use that time to try to make peace with the other Tamers and learn how to work as an effective team. The inspector will stay for a week or two and judge your progress."

"We'll do that." Artemis said with a nod. The others agreed as well.

"This won't be easy." Takato said. "Particularly when it comes to Toki and his gang."

"We'll find a way to reason with them… somehow." Henry said, though even he looked doubtful.

The Legendary Tamers were now rather ill at ease. Now it wasn't just this mysterious enemy of theirs that was a problem… and frankly, even dealing with that seemed easier than this new task.


	19. The Investigator

Chapter Nineteen

So what I'm going to now call the Second Arc has finally begun. Took me long enough, ne? Things are going to get pretty fun from here on in. Hope you enjoy it.

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon.

--

Chapter NineteenThe Investigator

Yamaki was sitting on his couch with Riley giving him a massage.

"You're always so tense, Mitsuo. You should learn to relax a little more." Riley said in an affectionate tone.

"What else can I be? The representative of the Legendary Tamers of Sapporo is coming tomorrow and there are still so many things that need to be done." Yamaki said with a small grunt of frustration.

"I'm certain everything will go just fine." Riley assured him. "We've established quite the team and I'm certain they'll meet up to the government's standards. All we have to do is meet their expectations."

"That's exactly it. If our Legendary Tamers fail to meet expectations, they'll be sent away to be trained to fit the standards and the training will be _torture_. I want them to at least have some semblance of a real life. If they fail, that will go straight out the window." Yamaki sighed in frustration, running a hand through his hair.

"You care a lot for the six of them. They're almost like your children." Riley said, a soft smile on her face. She knew Yamaki would never admit that but it was true. '_Maybe one day we'll have our own children running around everywhere…_'

Takato, Henry, Rika, Ryo, Artemis and Makoto were enjoying a day in the park with their digimon, but at the same time, they were as nervous as Yamaki about the upcoming check up.

"I wonder what the representative will be like…" Artemis pondered, feeding some pigeons nearby.

"Who knows? Let's just hope it's a fair one or we're all sunk." Ryo commented with a serious look on his face.

"Let's try not to think about it, it will only stress us out more than needed." Henry said and the group agreed.

The next day, Yamaki, Riley, Talley, the Monster Makers, Nyx, Rika, Ryo, Henry, Artemis and Makoto waited at the helipad on top of Hypnos, waiting for the visiting Legendary Tamer to arrive. They were all very nervous and the tension could be cut with a knife.

The helicopter arrived and they waited with baited breath as a boy with black, almost dark purple, hair and emerald green eyes came down and approached the group. Beside him was a Gaomon. He bowed politely and smiled.

"Konnichiwa, my name is Kakeru Suzuki of the Sapporo Legendary Tamers. It's nice to meet you all." He said, seeming polite enough.

However, Artemis got a strange feeling about him when he stared at her. It was almost as if he was _leering_ at her, which made her quite uncomfortable.

"It's a pleasure, Suzuki-san. My name is Mitsuo Yamaki, I'm the Head of Hypnos and this is my staff." Yamaki said, gesturing to the group. "The teenagers at the very end are the Legendary Tamers of Shinjuku. Rika Nonaka, Ryo Akiyama, Artemis Winthrop, Makoto Kiriya, Henry Wong, and… Nyx."

Kakeru raised an eyebrow at the very end.

"Nyx? No other name?" he queried, staring at Nyx intently, disturbing him slightly.

"We find it best to keep his identity a secret for everyone's benefit." Yamaki replied coolly. Kakeru looked intrigued but didn't say anything else for that moment.

"I"ll take your word for it then." He said. "Let's proceed. We still have to deal with the press conference."

"That we do." Riley said and the group headed out of Hypnos where a lot of reporters were waiting for them.

Most of the Legendary Tamers were used to the photos and attention, but Nyx who had always been hidden wasn't and so he tended to hide behind his comrades, something Kakeru noted.

Yamaki spoke to the press for a small bit before he let Kakeru take the podium.

"Thank you, Yamaki-san." Kakeru said before turning to the press. "I'm here to test the Legendary Tamers, to see just how efficient they are. To see their strengths and mark their flaws. After all, they are the ones who will lead this city's Tamers to protect the lives of all the civilians. If the Legendary Tamers are flawed then it can be said that it goes for the Tamers under their watch as well. That is why these checks are necessary."

"He's a good speaker…" Ryo remarked, noting how the crowd was listening with apt attention. Frankly, he didn't know if that was a good or a bad thing.

"I've only been here ten minutes, but I can already see flaws here." Kakeru said, his tone changing completely. "And I fear the flaw lies in how the Legendary Tamers have been trained." His cold green eyes stared straight at Yamaki as he said this.

"What's he griping about?" Makoto wondered with a small frown.

"The Legendary Tamers are supposed to be leaders but I can already see they lack what it takes. Ryo Akiyama is way too arrogant, Rika Nonaka is too stubborn, Makoto Kiriya is too inexperienced as a Legendary Tamer, Henry Wong is too much of a pacifist, and Nyx lacks any inkling of leadership skills. The only one I see as effective is Artemis Winthrop and that's because she was initially trained by someone else. Seeing this pattern, it can only be led back to the one who trained them in the first place!"

The Legendary Tamers bristled in anger at the insult Yamaki, Riley and Talley looked stunner and the press just buzzed with interest.

"That's a lie and you know it. Yamaki-san is a great trainer!" Artemis argued.

"Now, now, Artemis-san, don't start making empty compliments. Deep inside, e you _all_ know how pathetic he really is!" Kakeru yelled and the Legendary Tamers grew even angrier.

"Don't criticize people without any support backing it up!" Henry yelled, gray eyes as cold as ice. Kakeru just gave him a cold look of his own.

"This is just my initial impression at the moment. I will give an update on the Legendary Tamers as time passes." He said and he walked away from the podium, leaving a seething group of Legendary Tamers and an upset Yamaki.

"Who does that guy think he is?" Nyx grouched once they were away from the public in the safety of the Hypnos building.

"Unfortunately, he can say what he wants. Our fate lies in his hands. We have to make him believe that we're fit for the roles given to us." Artemis said solemnly.

"He treats us like we're nothing." Makoto scowled. "He judged us from face value alone."

"Some people are just like that." Yamaki said sharply. "You're going to have to prove him wrong."

"Oh we will." Ryo vowed. "You can count on it."

Later that day, Nyx headed over to the park. It was the best place he could think of to blow off some steam.

"You look pretty tense. Are you going to let that investigator's words get to you so badly?" a soft voice inquired. Nyx looked up to see Shiho standing in front of him. His eyes widened.

"Shiho… it's been a long time." He said before processing her words. "It's just… how could he have jumped the gun like that? It's almost like he's set to fail us right from the start!"

"There are those like that… just like that one Tamer you dislike so much…" Shiho said. "The best thing you can do is put your all into proving him wrong and succeeding in the face of adversity."

"Can we really do that? We all know that a certain few Tamers will cause us trouble in showing our leadership. Particularly, Toki. He hates me both as Nyx and Takato."

Both he and Shiho didn't realize that Kakeru was listening in on their conversation, from a hidden place. "Takato, huh? Looks like it's time to do a little research…" Kakeru mused, heading off.

"You'll find some way, I know you will." Shiho said confidently. After a bit of awkward silence, Nyx finally spoke.

"Look, Shiho… about that night at the Ball…" he began before Shiho silenced him.

"It's alright, really." She assured him. "We got caught in the moment and did something neither of us were ready for… I think the best thing to do is just forget about it and move on."

Nyx smiled slightly. He was kind of disappointed at her eagerness to forget it, but at least she was finally talking to him again. He'd missed that. "If that's what you really want." He stated, squeezing her hand in his. He was pleased when she didn't pull away.

The next day, the Legendary Tamers were pleased to see Nyx in such high spirits. "Looks like someone had a good day yesterday." Henry mused, smiling at his best friend. "Did it have anything to do with _her_?"

Artemis, Makoto, Rika and Ryo looked slightly confused by Henry's statement and even more surprised by the blush that painted Nyx's cheeks. "Shut up, Henry." Nyx whispered without any real malice in his voice. Henry just chuckled. He'd gotten his answer.

"What are you talking about?" Artemis asked confused.

"Guy stuff." Henry said with a secretive look on his face. He winked at the reddened Nyx.

At that point, Kakeru came up to them. "Nyx, can I talk to you in private?" he queried.

Blinking in confusion, Nyx obliged him. "Is something wrong?" he inquired, on guard. Kakeru smirked maliciously, causing the hairs on the back of Nyx's head stand on end.

"You're a real mystery, aren't you, Nyx? Or rather, Takato Matsuki." Kakeru said. "That's right, I know all about you. The kid that everyone believes to have no partner despite your obvious wish to have one. The one that tagged along with all of his friends who were Tamers, living vicariously through them… such a pitiful soul you are."

Nyx reverted back to Takato's appearance, glaring at Kakeru. "So you figured it out. Someone should give you a prize." He bit out sarcastically.

"You're right. They should." Kakeru said smugly. "It would be pretty troublesome for you if your identity came out, wouldn't it?" He reveled in how Takato's face paled.

"What do you want?" Takato growled, sensing that there was something Kakeru was trying to get at.

"If you don't want anyone to know that Nyx is in fact the meek and pathetic Takato Matsuki, you'll give that girlfriend of yours to me. You know, that blonde one… oh, and how about we throw in Artemis into the mix as well?" Kakeru sneered.

"You sick son of a bitch. You actually expect me to trade _people_ for your petty whims?" Takato snarled, hands balling into fists. Kakeru looked thoughtful.

"You know what, you're right. It is a little unfair. I'll give you a chance to keep them and your identity safe." Kakeru said. "Beat me in a battle in front of the entire town and you're home free. Lose, and life as you know it is over."


	20. Reflection

I got major inspiration for this story now, so I'll be keeping up with it (hopefully) more now

I got major inspiration for this story now, so I'll be keeping up with it (hopefully) more now. Got so many ideas I could work with dreamy

Apologies for the weak ending. I hadn't known how to do it so just stuck with the rough way I'd put it. It got its point across I suppose. Everything will get smoothed out soon.

This chapter is dedicated to my snarky beta for some of her ideas that helped smoothen things out.

Disclaimer: I don't own digimon.

--

Chapter TwentyReflection

"You can't be serious…" Takato gaped. No one could be that deranged. Kakeru didn't look phased.

"I'm dead serious." He said flatly. "Now do you accept the challenge or not? If you refuse it, your identity and your girls are immediately forfeit."

"Then it appears I don't have a choice then, now do I?" Takato ground out. "You've got yourself a deal." Kakeru's smirk was downright sickening as he watched Takato storm out angrily, back in his Nyx form.

"What's wrong, Nyx?" Artemis asked her best friend, concerned. She'd never seen him so angry before.

"Suzuki _knows_." Nyx hissed and the other Legendary Tamers froze.

"But how?" Ryo asked incredulously.

"He must have seen me change at one point or heard someone refer to me as Takato. But now he's given me a challenge I can't dare to refuse. If I lose, not only will everyone know my identity, but I'll lose not only Artemis but Shiho as well…" Nyx growled. The other Legendary Tamers were outraged, but most, save for Henry, were confused as well.

"Who's Shiho?" Rika asked with a frown.

"A friend of mine. She knows who I am and has been helping me since that tournament a couple of months ago." Nyx admitted.

"Why didn't you tell us about her?" Makoto frowned in confusion.

"She didn't want too many people to know… but it looks like everyone's going to find out soon anyways…" Nyx growled.

"Who does Suzuki think he is? Just because our fate as Legendary Tamers lies in the balance, he thinks he can walk all over us! You've got to kick his ass, Nyx!" Rika exclaimed, punching the wall. The digimon voiced their agreement. This was an insult to all of their pride and they wouldn't take it lying down.

Just then, Kakeru passed by. "Remember, _Takato_, or fight will be on Saturday at noon, in front of everyone. If you lose, you will unmask yourself in front of everyone and you lose the two most precious females in your life." Nyx just snarled in response. "Hn… you're as rabid as your partner."

"They say 'two peas in a pod make the best pair.' So you already know my rapid partner and I will kick your sorry ass." Nyx said sarcastically. (A/N: line courtesy of my snarky beta). Kakeru was actually thrown off by Nyx's comeback, having expected the boy to react angrily. He scowled at Nyx's smirk before storming away.

"He really doesn't like you." Ryo said, after he finished snickering at Nyx having got the last laugh.

"To hell with what he thinks." Rika snorted. "We just have to make sure you can beat him in that battle."

"I'm sure he can." Artemis said faithfully. "WarGrowlmon's really powerful."

"He may be powerful, yet it may not be enough." Yamaki inserted as he arrived. "Word has it that Suzuki's Gaomon can reach _Mega_ level." The Legendary Tamers gasped.

"You're not serious." Henry said, dismayed.

"I wish." The head of Hypnos declared. "The Sapporo Tamer didn't hesitate to display his power on the training grounds earlier. His MirageGaogamon is a force to be reckoned with."

"What are we going to do?" Artemis inquired distressed. "We're not ready yet for a Mega level…"

"_We're _not going to do anything." Nyx said. "This is my battle. Don't let it distress you."

"How can we not?" Makoto exclaimed, frowning as it appeared Nyx was withdrawing into himself. "We're your friends. We're not going to let you take the fall alone. Have you forgotten that Artemis and your special friend are on the line as well? Let us help you!"

"You can achieve more if we work together to get you stronger, Nyx." Henry pointed out. "Please?"

Nyx remained silent for a moment before sighing. "I can't get you guys to leave me alone at all, can I?" he murmured.

"Not a chance." They chorused together, dispelling the tense atmosphere. Yamaki couldn't help the small smile that appeared on his face. They truly were a team and if Kakeru couldn't see that… he was an idiot.

While the Shinjuku Legendary Tamers were optimistic in their hopes to get Nyx ready for battle against Kakeru, they didn't realize one thing. Things in Sapporo were very, very wrong. No one knew that his higher ups had been murdered and that Kakeru had a new allegiance…

Nyx sat in the park, late at night, glad to finally relax. The other Legendary Tamers had been working both him and Guilmon hard for the upcoming fight against Kakeru and Gaomon.

"It looks like you've been busy." Shiho mused, coming over and sitting down. He nodded, growing a little pensive.

"Suzuki gave me a challenge I couldn't refuse. He's using his power over us a little too much." Nyx frowned, wondering how to tell her.

"What kind of challenge?" Shiho asked with narrowed eyes.

"I have to defeat him in battle, in front of everyone, on Saturday. If I lose… I not only will have my identity exposed but he'll get you and Artemis. I have no idea how the hell he thinks he can get you but there was something in his eyes that told me he'd stop at nothing until he did. There's no way I'd subject either of you to that." Nyx stated.

"Then you'll have to defeat him." Shiho said. Nyx looked surprised. He'd expected Shiho to be mad at him for having somehow dragged her into the entire mess. However, there was no anger in her blue eyes, only understanding.

"Do you think I can do it?" he asked. "I've never had to face a Mega level digimon before."

"You have to remember that your partner is special in his own right. I have full faith in both of your abilities." Shiho said with a small, genuine smile. "I leave my fate willingly in your hands."

"You shouldn't say that to a guy, Shiho. Not all of us are trustworthy." Nyx warned.

"That may be, but you are." Shiho said firmly, squeezing his hand. "And that's all that matters."

"What did I do to get you into my life?" Nyx mused, brushing a hand absent-mindedly against her cheek. Shiho leaned into the touch.

"You were patient." She responded with a small smirk, and they both chuckled.

Ryo stood on the roof of Hypnos, a frown on his face as he stared up at the moon. Despite their best efforts, he knew it was not likely that Takato would be able to bring Guilmon to Mega level in their few short days until the battle. Even if he did, Guilmon wouldn't get the chance to fully get used to his Mega form to really be a match for a digimon that was well accustomed to being a Mega.

'_What am I thinking? I've got to keep faith in Takato. He's proved us all wrong before…_' Ryo thought, shaking his head to dispel the negative thoughts.

'**You know he can't do it… not without help at least.**' A darker voice, one Ryo had sworn to belong to someone he knew dead, chorused through his mind.

'_Millenniummon…_' Ryo cursed. '_You can't still be alive_.'

'**I'm not alive… not completely.**' Millenniummon sneered, chuckling evilly. '**You should know by now that our lives are bonded together, Ryo. We're partners.**'

'_Monodramon's my partner. Not you._' Ryo shot back, frowning.

'**But I'm a part of Monodramon now… or have you forgotten?**' Millenniummon taunted.

'_What do you want, Millenniummon?_' Ryo asked, frustrated.

'**I just want to help.**' Millenniummon said, sounding innocent, something Ryo knew could never be the case.

'_What's in it for you_?' Ryo frowned.

'**Nothing. I just want to make sure my Tamer doesn't get disgraced alongside his teammate.**' Millenniummon responded.

'_I'm not your Tamer._' Ryo scowled, something that looked rather foreign on his normally genial face.

'**Deny it all you like, Ryo, but you know it's true. You also know I can help… I can help your friend reach Mega level if only you would let me…**'

'_Not a chance, Millenniummon. You'll most likely warp him into something that suits you best. Why don't you just go back into whatever dark corner you came from?_' Ryo asked sarcastically.

'**I'll do as you say for now. Don't blame me when your friend fails.**' Millenniummon responded and his voice faded away. Only then did Ryo realize that someone was waving their hand in front of his face. Looking to the side, he saw an annoyed Rika standing there.

"Geez, Pretty Boy. It took you long enough to acknowledge me. What planet were you on for the past ten minutes?" Rika asked sarcastically, violet eyes narrowed.

"I was just thinking." Ryo lied. "What's up, Wild Cat?"

"It's getting late. I was wondering when you were going to go home." Rika said.

"Aww… you waited for me. That's so nice of you. Am I warming up to you yet?" Ryo asked flirtatiously. Rika rolled her eyes, but Ryo could see a small wisp of a smile on her face. '_I'm definitely winning her over._' He thought to himself.

"Dream on, Romeo." She responded before she started walking away.

"Wait, I'll walk you home." He offered. Seeing as she didn't offer any refusal of the offer, Ryo took it as a yes. He followed her out, grinning widely, like a puppy lovingly following his master… or mistress in this case.

Makoto was escorting Artemis back home. He looked rather pensive. "How can you be so calm?" he finally asked, breaking the silence.

Artemis turned, looking puzzled. "What do you mean?" she asked.

"How can you be so calm when your life is at stake in this upcoming battle? If Nyx loses, you will be under Suzuki's mercy. Doesn't that worry you?" Makoto asked.

"I can't afford to feel worried." Artemis finally responded, looking forward. "Because if I do, Nyx will know… and it will bring down his spirits. I have to show him that I trust him completely to win this fight and put Suzuki in his place." Makoto stared at her, visibly stunned.

"You're something else, aren't you?" he breathed out. "You care that much for him?"

"He's like the brother I never had." Artemis responded with a sweet smile on her face. "In these months that I've known him, he's wormed his way so deeply into my life that I just can't imagine life without him. I'll support him no matter what he does."

"He's lucky to have you." Makoto said, admiration clear in his voice. "I knew if I had you… I'd never let you go." Artemis stared at him in surprise, not having expected that.

"Who says you don't?" she asked softly. "We are friends now, you know."

"And I'm glad for it." Makoto said with a small smile. "I never meant to get on your bad side in the first place… guess it was just my luck."

"Life is full of sweet surprises." Artemis giggled. Makoto chuckled as well.

"It sure is." He said with a sincere smile towards the object of his secret desires.

Behind them, Lucemon and Gabumon looked at each other. Were they the only ones who noticed the chemistry between the two of them?


	21. Wrath of the Hazard

Chapter Twenty-One

Chapter Twenty-OneWrath of the Hazard

The Legendary Tamers arrived at the arena to a mix of cheers and taunting (mainly from Toki's group).

Nyx caught sight of Shiho, who went to his side and took hold of his hand. Nyx squeezed it for comfort, not noticing Jeri's jealous gaze upon their entwined fingers.

He glared at Kakeru the moment he caught the boy leering at both Shiho and Artemis. He really did have no shame.

"Good luck, _Takato_." Shiho whispered before moving to the side. The other Legendary Tamers moved to join her. Artemis paused in front of Nyx and whispered in his ear.

"Nii-chan, I _really_ like Shiho." She said, the implication hidden in her words and a sincere smile on her lips. She giggled as she turned away from her blushing older brother-figure and joined the rest.

Nyx climbed into the arena with Guilmon and his eyes met Kakeru's.

"Ready to lose?" Kakeru asked cockily.

"I'm ready to put you in your place." Nyx responded coolly.

"Let's start this." Kakeru said, gesturing for Gaomon to step up. "Let's save time and go to the highest level we can. No point wasting their energy at lower levels."

Loud murmurs filled the arena. Seeing two powerhouses going all out was something they'd rarely got to see. Excitement swelled within the masses.

"Fine with me." Nyx said, despite the apprehension beginning to fill him. He took out a blue card. "_Digimodify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!_" Guilmon began to glow a bright red color.

"_Guilmon Digivolve to… Growlmon! Growlmon Matrix Digivolve to… WarGrowlmon!_"

The large cyborg dragon stood tall and proud, glaring at Gaomon, preparing himself for what was to come.

"Impressive… just not impressive enough." Kakeru drawled. His black D-Arc began to glow.

"_Gaomon Warp Digivolve to… MirageGaogamon!_"

Loud exclamations of awe could be heard from their captive audience at the sight of the magnificent blue-armored humanoid dog. Nyx himself felt a hint of doubt at the power he felt coming from the Mega level digimon. This would be the very first he'd ever seen in his life. He didn't let it show on his face. If it did, it would only demoralize WarGrowlmon.

The bell rang and the battle commenced. MirageGaogamon made the first move as he tackled WarGrowlmon to the ground. The impact caused the entire arena to shake, causing a slight wave of panic before everyone calmed down.

"_Atomic Blaster_!" WarGrowlmon yelled, the twin red beams forcing MirageGaogamon off. However, to both his and Nyx's displeasure, MirageGaogamon didn't have a single scratch on him.

"That tickled." MirageGaogamon admitted, smirking ever so slightly. It was clear he shared his Tamer's arrogance. That only fired WarGrowlmon and Nyx up more. "My turn. _Double Crescent Mirage!_" He shot out crescent waved blasts from his hands which slammed into WarGrowlmon with great force. Both Nyx and WarGrowlmon cried out in pain. The attack felt more painful than any they'd dealt with.

"So this is a Mega's power?" Nyx gasped out. He was worried about WarGrowlmon. If it had felt like his ribs were breaking to _him_ than what must it have felt like for his partner?

"Damn straight? Do you still think that you stand a chance?" Kakeru sneered, enjoying the look of pain on Nyx's face.

Both Artemis and Shiho moved towards the ongoing battle, concern written plainly on their faces, but Makoto and Henry held them back, respectively.

"Let me go, Makoto! He's hurt!" Artemis struggled against his hold.

"You can't go to him… this is his fight." Renamon asserted, her ice blue eyes narrowed.

MirageGaogamon didn't even relent. Just as WarGrowlmon was beginning to pick himself up, the Mega attacked again. "Full Moon Blaster!" A large energy blast came straight from his chest plate and overcame WarGrowlmon.

The twin screams of pain silenced the clamor in the arena.

Seeing the fallen Juggernaut and his Tamer, Kenta couldn't help but tremble. "T-this wasn't a fight… this was a massacre." He gasped. "WarGrowlmon didn't even stand a chance."

"So weak…" Kakeru hissed in disgust, staring at Nyx. The Hazard Tamer was on his knees, coughing out blood. "You could have pulled away from the link so at least you would remain safe."

"If G-Guilmon has to suffer… (cough)… than I will too." Nyx responded, glaring. "I w-won't leave him."

"How sentimental." Kakeru said. "You've lost and yet… you still cling to this useless honor. Those beliefs you have show that you're a worthless Tamer."

"You're wrong!" Suzie cried out in outrage, taking her place at her brother's side. She may not know who Nyx was but from the way her brother spoke of him, she felt like she did.

"Nyx's honor is what makes him one of the most admirable of all… if you can't see that, than you are a fool." Rika hissed. Many in the audience voiced their agreement.

"So loyal…" Kakeru hissed. "So loyal to one who has been lying to you all about his identity. You didn't even know that in reality your beloved Nyx is in fact one of the greatest outcasts in town!"

Nyx stiffened up, knowing what was coming. He was in no position, however, to stop him. Kakeru had all but won…

"What do you mean?" Jeri asked in confusion.

"What I mean is that your Nyx is none other than Takato Matsuki!" he exclaimed, using his ability… which was to negate any other Legendary Tamer's power. Everyone gasped as Nyx's blonde hair and golden eyes faded away to brown hair and pained crimson eyes.

The response to Kakeru's revelation was thunderous.

"All this time the fabled Nyx was that wimp Matsuki?" Jiro gaped, voice filled with disgust. He glanced over at the pissed off Toki.

Toki couldn't believe he'd been defeated by Takato of all people… it made him sick.

Beside him, a dumbstruck Kazu just looked at his old friend in shock and betrayal.

Jeri felt the betrayal most of all. Why didn't Takato tell her? She thought they were friends…

Kenta and Suzie were the most accepting of all. Kenta could never think badly of his childhood friend and Suzie hadn't known Takato well enough to feel betrayed. In fact, she sort of understood what he was going through.

Takato absorbed all of the mixed responses, although most of them were negative. He took them all to heart. The Crest of Chaos began to glow subtly… and unknown to everyone, it was being fueled by Millenniummon.

Artemis broke away from Makoto with the intentions of going to Takato to heal him but one of Kakeru's hired goons grabbed her bodily around the waist and began to bring her over to Kakeru's side.

"You do remember the other part of the deal, don't you?" Kakeru smirked, stilling the other Legendary Tamers when they went to help Artemis, who was fighting the goons tooth and nail.

At that moment, Takato got to his feet, stumbling. "You haven't won yet." He said. Something in his voice made his comrades turn their attention back to him. Something was wrong… starting with that eerie red/black aura that was beginning to surround Takato.

WarGrowlmon rose to his feet, a similar aura surrounding him as well. His eyes were feral and the hazard sign on his chest was flashing red.

"What's happening?" Henry gasped, watching as the formerly clear skies began to turn an ominous red and lightning began to flash.

"It's the Digital Hazard." Shiho said. "Takato's been pushed too far and he's begun to unleash it."

"Is that bad?" Suzie asked, frowning.

"Very bad." Shiho responded. "The Digital Hazard is one of the most powerful forces in both worlds. If he loses complete control of it…"

"Then it's over. For all of us." Ryo responded, comprehension dawning on him.

"The question is, how did Takato come to possess the Digital Hazard?" Makoto queried with a frown.

"The Sovereign chose to seal it within the Crest of Chaos. So in truth, the Crest of Chaos is actually the Hazard Crest. Takato was compatible with it due to the fact that he bonded with it from the moment he created Guilmon. The Sovereigns sent me here to protect Takato from succumbing to it… but I didn't expect this." Shiho admitted, looking like she was ready to cry. "And now I failed him."

The group could only watch in horror as a strange black/red fog seemed to encase the entire arena, leaving it trapped between the two worlds. A red funnel of energy surrounded WarGrowlmon and… Takato _changed_.

Takato's hair turned pitch black and his eyes darkened to a blood red. He now wore black pants, a dark red shirt with the black Digital Hazard symbol on it and over it was a black trench coat with a red, vicious looking dragon emblazoned on it. Even his goggles changed to black and red.

At the same time, the funnel disappeared revealing what WarGrowlmon had become. The monstrous dragon that had replaced him seemed to hold no resemblance to the kind and lovable Guilmon.

"Fuck. What the hell is that?" Kazu gasped at the sight of the monstrosity.

"Megidramon. Mega level Virus. The most powerful of the Four Great Dragons. Special attacks are Hell Howling and Megiddo Flame." Henry read out the information his D-Arc provided him.

Kakeru stared straight at Takato, who had been completely expressionless throughout the entire transformation. Then Takato finally did something, but it was hardly reassuring…

He laughed.

Meanwhile at Hypnos, everyone was on high alert. They had just found out that the entire investigation of the Tokyo Legendary Tamers was a hoax and that Kakeru was a fraud. He wasn't there to test them… he was sent to ruin them.

Just as Yamaki had been ready to give notice to the Legendary Tamers, the second disaster happened. All over the monitors, red hazard signs flashed, showing the destabilization between the Real and Digital Worlds. Not only that but the arena the Tamers were in had completely dropped off the map, stuck in some peculiar Digital Zone that couldn't be breached from the outside no matter how hard they all tried.

"Just what the hell is going on in there?" Yamaki asked, distressed as he started playing with his lighter.

"He's gone off the deep end." Kazu decided as Takato's cold, crazed laughter rang out. How could the boy be so indifferent to his partner having turned into a monster? A monster that was currently tearing into MirageGaogamon with a vengeance.

"That wouldn't be very surprising." Toki said derisively… only to get punched by an irate Makoto. This earned a surprised gasp from Artemis.

"Shut your mouth, you bastard, or I'll make you." Makoto said darkly. Toki's words were upsetting Artemis, who had long since been released by the panicked goon.

"Since when have you been Takato's friend?" Toki sneered.

"Since I saw through the lies you've been telling everyone about him." Makoto responded.

"Somebody needs to calm Takato down… he's going to kill MirageGaogamon otherwise." Henry said.

Suddenly, both Artemis and Shiho rushed over to Takato.

"Stop this, Takato! This isn't who you are! That isn't who Guilmon is! Don't let your rage consume you!" Artemis pleaded, shaking him. He seemed to be completely oblivious to her words… as if he really wasn't all there.

"Can't you hear us?" Shiho asked, placing a hand on his cheek. He blinked, but that was the sole response she got.

"He's standing here but nobody's home…" Artemis said, sounding sad. "Then I'll just have to bring him back."

"What do you mean?" Shiho queried.

"Watch." Artemis responded, putting a hand on Takato's heart, focusing her energy into it. "_Projection._"

Artemis found herself within a strange world that was mostly red with black gears whirring all around her. Scanning around, she saw Takato curled up in a fetal position in the center of the world.

It took her a moment to figure out how to move but then she headed over to Takato, placing a hand on his shoulder. He looked up at her with dead eyes. It broke her heart to see him in such a state.

"Takato… you need to wake up." She pleaded.

"What do you need me for? I'm utterly worthless." Takato said desolately, looking away again.

SLAP!

Takato's eyes widened as he cradled his stinging cheek. Artemis had never struck him before.

"Don't you say that again, Takato. You're far from worthless and it's about time you realized that." She reprimanded. "You have so many people that love you… don't throw that all away."

"Did you see the way they all looked at me? Even Jeri…" Takato frowned.

"Forget them. What do they mean to you? Kazu's an idiot and Jeri… she lost her right to be your friend the moment she chose Toki over you. You have so much to be happy for Takato… you have Guilmon, you have all of us… and you have Shiho. She loves you, Takato, even if she won't admit it and I know you love her too. If you keep holding onto all these insecurities, you'll never be able to move on." Artemis said, placing a hand on Takato's cheek.

"Is it really that easy?" Takato murmured, leaning into her touch instinctively.

"It's only as hard as you make it." Artemis said. "We'll deal with this all together. Just please – come with me?" She held out a hand for him.

Takato hesitated for a moment before taking her hand. There was a flash of light and Artemis found herself back in her body with her hand tightly clenched in a now fully conscious Takato's hands. He looked to be back to normal. Tired from doing something she had just recently learned how to do, Artemis stumbled back and got supported by Makoto. She gave him a grateful look and got a sweet smile in return.

It took Takato only a few moments to assess the total situation and his eyes widened in horror. "What have I done?" he asked himself.

As Megidramon was about to kill a beaten and worn Gaomon, Takato cried out. "STOP!"

Megidramon stopped at his Tamer's orders, just inches away from impaling Gaomon with his tail.

The Digital Zone disappeared and the sky cleared as Megidramon shrank back down to a worn out Gigimon. Takato scooped him up in his arms and sank to his knees, whispering sorry over and over again. The Legendary Tamers surrounded him, along with Shiho and Suzie, trying to comfort him. The once captive crowd started trickling away, not wanting to be in the chaotic area anymore. Only the other Tamers remained, watching on the sidelines.

A couple of minutes later, Ryo looked up and frowned. "Where did Kakeru go?" The false investigator had completely vanished.

"The coward ran away… how predictable." Rika scowled.

"Let's not worry about him for now." Henry responded as the group tried to help their broken comrade pick up the pieces of his shattered resolve.


	22. Falling From Grace edit

Sorry for taking so long to update. To tell you the truth, I'd had most of it written a while ago but my own disillusionment made it hard for me to finish. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Happy New Year everyone!

--------------

Chapter Twenty-TwoFalling From Grace

The Legendary Tamers had holed them up inside within the Hypnos building almost instantly after returning from the battle. The reporters were _everywhere_. All the news channels spoke of the battle and the only thing the Legendary Tamers could be thankful was that from the moment Takato had lost control of his temper, all the technology within the Digital Zone had stopped working. Therefore, there was no actual footage of Megidramon. Still, those who had witnessed the fight were sure to never forget it.

Takato had locked himself in a room with only Guilmon and he refused to come out, even for food… and they had been there three days. They'd had their families come to Hypnos too, to keep them from being badgered by all the unwanted press.

"It's in times like these I wish the existence of digimon had remained a secret from the general public." Yamaki growled, pacing the floor. He was in a rather bad mood and not even Riley was able to calm him down.

"Kakeru did what he came for." Ryo said darkly. "He ruined our name."

'**Didn't I tell you to accept my help?**' Millenniummon queried. It only made Ryo scowl harder.

Ryo didn't comment. He wasn't in the mood to deal with Millenniummon.

"What are we going to do?" Henry asked, crossing his arms with a pensive look. "We can't hide here forever. This isn't just going to tide over like the other situations. We'll never get peace as long as we're here."

"Surely they wouldn't be that stubborn with their opinions of us." Artemis said, wanting to be optimistic about the people.

"People are fickle beings. They applaud us for our accomplishment but the moment they see a fault, they condemn us." Makoto said darkly.

"What are we going to do about Takato?" Henry asked, concerned about his friend.

"For now, we should leave him alone. He will need some time to get over it and it would be best if he can do it alone." Yamaki said.

"But he needs us." Artemis argued.

"Hey, where did Shiho go?" Ryo asked, noticing that the silent blonde girl had disappeared without them noticing.

********

Shiho barged into his room. Guilmon's head snapped in the direction of the door as Shiho slammed the door shut behind her. Takato's form remained slumped against the wall, one leg stretched out, one leg bent. One arm rested on his bent knee and his head hung limply.

Guilmon saw Shiho and shook Takato's unresponsive form again.

"Ohhh…Takatomon!" He whimpered. Takato remained unmoving despite his best friend's pleas; he was lost in a world of guilt and grief.

"Guilmon, could you give me some time with him please?" Shiho asked the red digimon who stood beside Takato's form. Worried about his Tamer, Guilmon sullenly nodded and quietly walked out of the room, closing the door with a soft 'click' unlike what Shiho had done.

Slowly, Shiho walked over and sat on her knees in front of Takato. Twisting her body, she tried to make eye contact with his broken form and hesitantly reached a hand out to his face, to force him to meet her eyes.

"Takato." She said gently. "Takato, look at me." She told him patiently. She curled her index finger under his chin and guided his eyes up to meet hers. He flinched at her touch and allowed his eyes to meet hers.

"Don't be like this." She begged him, softly. Takato's eyes were as broken as his body's form. She searched his eyes, waiting for some kind of response, hoping.

"You shouldn't be near me, Shiho." Takato's hoarse voice rang through the silence suddenly, nearly startling the blonde girl. "I'm a monster." He said emptily.

Shiho felt a bit of anger course through her veins at hearing that. She shoved it back and spoke. "No, Takato. You're not a monster." She said. Takato opened his mouth to protest. But she placed a finger on his lips.

Needless to say, he shut his mouth quickly, and if he wasn't in the state that he was in, he would have surely blushed from the intimate contact.

"You're not a monster, Takato. You are a very kind hearted soul. You have plenty of people who love you for who you are and understand you. They see you for who you are don't ask you to be anyone else. They take you with the flaws. Everyone has them. Good, bad. Light, dark. It's the concept of yin and yang. Balance; you can't have one without the other. No one blames you for what happened. It's been three days. Come out, have something to eat, get some fresh air. You can't stay holed up in your room forever." She told him, holding her hands in her lap in front of him.

Takato laughed. But it wasn't a good laugh. It was empty, dark, sadistic.

"You're wrong. I'm a piece of scum. I don't deserve to walk the plains on this planet let alone-"

*SLAP!*

Takato's head turned with the force of Shiho's hand slapping against his cheek. Surprised, the first emotion to show in his eyes besides self-disgust, he blatantly stared at the young woman in front of him who was heaving air angrily into her lungs as she glared at him.

"Shiho?" Takato gasped tentatively.

"You listen to me, now, Takato Matsuki and you listen well!" she began, all the patience gone in her voice. "You are NOT a monster! You are not a piece of scum! And you are most definitely too GOOD for most of the people that walk the face of this planet. I know for a fact how many people love you. How many times over and over again you have proven yourself worthy of much more than was dealt are the Japanese Legendary Tamer of Balance and Chaos. BALANCE. CHAOS. They go hand in hand! You cannot have one without the other!" she was breathing heavily by now, all her anger spent. Her eyes changed from their violent look, subtly, to a tenderer, vulnerable look.

"You have so many people who love you, Takato. Your parents are downstairs right now sick with worry for you! Guilmon, who is usually so playful has had nothing but worry in his eyes, has spent the last few days doing nothing but trying to get through to you. The Monster Makers, the other digimon! They all care about you! Henry, Ryo, Rika, Makoto are all waiting for you to let them in! To let you know, they DO care about you! Artemis has been beside herself, making herself physically ill, worrying for you; because she loves you so much. She's always behind you no matter what you do. She's always been there to support you.

"No one blames you for what happened, Takato. They want you to know that. We all fell into that trap. Not just you. We're in this together. You don't have to go it alone!" she said, remembering Artemis' words the morning before when Artemis had been thinking about Takato.

Takato stared at Shiho before tentatively opening his mouth. He took the leap.

"And what about you, Shiho? What do you feel?" he whispered. Shiho froze. She looked at the young man in front of her and knew this was it. This was the time. It would all come forth and she would be at her most vulnerable point. She closed her eyes and hoped that she wasn't about to make a fool out of herself. She opened her eyes, and jumped.

"I am hopelessly and irrevocably in love with you." She said, looking him straight in the eye.

Takato's eyes widened in shock as his heart began to beat a mile a minute within his chest. He couldn't believe it.

Shiho started self-consciously down at her hands which were wringing nervously in her lap. She couldn't quite understand the depths of the emotions going on in Takato's eyes and she couldn't quite bring herself to meet them anymore because she was embarrassed.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't have said-" she was cut off by a pair of warm lips closing over hers. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist and pulled her close. Pulling away a mere centimeter, the deep voice spoke.

"I love you, too, Shiho." And then sealed his lips over hers once again. After overcoming the shock, Shiho melted into the kiss, allowing it to be deepened.

Pretty soon, the loving kiss had turned into a full blown make out session which was cut short when a growling noise filled the otherwise silent room. They broke apart and from her position sitting on the floor between Takato's legs, Shiho noticed Takato blushing. But she knew it wasn't because they'd been kissing so passionately. Her eyes glanced at his stomach and she wasn't able to fully stifle the giggle that escaped.

"Let's get you some food." She declared, standing up and holding out a hand to help him up. He smiled sheepishly and took her hand, leading her out to the kitchen where upon his parents' and Guilmon's worried demeanors became happy smiles that beamed at the sight of him out of his room and unbroken. Takato immediately felt at home again.

"Oh, Takato!!" His mother immediately threw herself at her son. Letting go of Shiho's hand, Takato wrapped his arms around his mother's frame and let himself drown in the love radiating from her being. Suddenly, Takato's stomach growled again and Guilmon cheered and laughed.

"Yay! Takatomon's hungry again!" he cheered, doing a funny dance around the kitchen table. Everyone laughed and Takato's mother pulled away from her son, wiping a tear of joy from her eyes.

"I'll make you something to eat. Shiho, dear, will you eat too?" she asked as she headed to the kitchen. Takato smiled at Shiho and squeezed her hand affectionately.

********

Toki was in a bad mood. He had been for the last three days. How could Takato have been Nyx? That undeserving bastard had humiliated him too many times… Toki thirsted for revenge. Yet, a part of him feared what Takato was capable of. He thought back to the battle between Megidramon and MirageGaogamon…

/_Megidramon was a formidable figure as he stood opposite a stunned MirageGaogamon. He hadn't expected the Hazard digimon in front of him to warp into something so monstruous. The Hazard symbol on both of their chests was blinking with an alarming red light._

_He grew alarmed as Megidramon opened his mouth and flames began to appear._

"_**Megiddo Flame!**__" the hell dragon roared as a massive flame escaped and encased MirageGaogamon. _

_Toki could only gape as he heard the dog knight scream in pain from the attack. How the hell had Takato produced such a monstrous creature out of his partner? His power was unbelievable. _

_When the flames disappeared, everyone could see how damaged MirageGaogamon had become and it was startling. One attack had done so much?_

_"__**Full Moon Blaster!**__" MirageGaogamon yelled, trying to fight Megidramon but the attack only made the Great Dragon angrier._

_Letting out a mighty roar, Megidramon grabbed MirageGaogamon around the middle and lifted him off the ground. Opening his mouth wide and letting out the acidic saliva, Megidramon tried to bite MirageGaogamon, only to get his mouth held wide open by the other Mega's struggling arms._

_"I won't… meet my end… at your hands!" MirageGaogamon growled. "__**Double Crescent Mirage!**__"_

_Megidramon let out a cry of anger and dropped the other digimon. "__**Hell Howling!**__" he retaliated and MirageGaogamon let out a scream of agony as he de-digivolved._/

So direct revenge was out of the question unless Toki wanted to meet the same fate as Kakeru and MirageGaogamon. His thought of Jeri and he smirked. She'd be enough to get at Takato with. He'd stolen Takato's first love and he wouldn't hesitate to rub it in Takato's face.

Meanwhile, Jeri was dealing with what she felt was betrayal. How could Takato keep this from her? She would have protected his secret… But then he created that monster. He wasn't the Takato she once knew. Her thoughts fell on that girl she saw with Nyx all the time – Shiho. Hatred for the girl filled Jeri. She had to be the one who'd warped Takato so much. She turned him and his partner into monsters. It was the only explanation.

"Jeri, what are you doing here?" Artemis asked as she stepped out of Hypnos as the press had backed off for the day.

Jeri stared at the girl, an unreadable look on her face. "All this time, you knew that Nyx and Takato were one and the same… and you didn't utter a word. Don't you think I deserved to know? Takato was my friend!" she exclaimed, all her emotions pouring out of her. Artemis frowned.

"No offense, Jeri… but you won't acting much like a friend. Takato cared for you but you failed to give him a reason to trust you. When you chose Toki over him, the decision was clear." Artemis said icily. She had long since lost her respect for the girl.

Jeri gaped at the girl. Artemis had never been anything but nice to her… what had she done wrong?

"Don't turn this around on me." She argued back.

"Why not? I'm telling you the exact reason why you never deserved the truth. You betrayed Takato, not the other way around. You made your bed… and now you have to sleep in it." Artemis said before she walked off without another word, leaving Jeri to dwell on what she said.


	23. Interlude

I've finally come up with the next chapter. Sorry it took so long but you'll get to know how our Legendary Tamers have turned out after seven long years. I'll gradually start showing what happened during those seven years but at periodic times. If there is any particular scene you would like to see, feel free to suggest.

**Disclaimer**: I don't own Digimon.

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Chapter Twenty ThreeInterlude

"Penny for your thoughts?" Artemis asked Makoto that night as the boy stood out on the balcony of their adjacent rooms.

"I can't get that battle of my head." Makoto admitted. "I'd never been so… _terrified_ of a digimon before. But Megidramon… there's a reason he's known as a hell dragon."

"He terrified us all, Makoto. I suppose _he_ was the reason the Sovereigns feared the Digital Hazard so much to seal it." Artemis said. "But you can't blame Takato for it. He didn't even know he was capable of doing something like that. All we can do is help him get through this and hope that everything will turn out alright."

"But what if everything _doesn't _turn out alright?" Makoto queried with a frown.

"Then we'll have to get through it together and hope for the best," Artemis said softly.

"Your optimism is something else," Makoto mused, finding his worries were disappearing merely by hearing her reassuring words.

"In times like this, that's all you can depend on," Artemis stated before grasping his hand in hers. "Come, the other Tamers are waiting for us. We're going to discuss what we can do now that things have gone the way they have."

"At least we're finally talking about it," Makoto sighed as they walked inside together.

They entered the main conference room where all the Legendary Tamers, Shiho, Monster Makers, and the main three Hypnos officials sat, waiting for the two of them.

"Now that you are all here we can discuss what you will want to do now that your positions as Legendary Tamers have been so gravely challenged. Do you want to stay and deal with the hardships or be stationed somewhere else where you will be able to continue your growth as Tamers unhindered?" Yamaki queried.

The six Legendary Tamers looked at each other, wondering which of the two choices was the right one to make. Leaving the city made it seem like they were running, but if they stayed, they wouldn't be able to move on and become the team they were supposed to be.

After a few minutes of speaking, Takato finally spoke. "I don't want to be here and be constantly reminded of my mistakes. I don't care if it's a cowardly move, I just can't stay here." His parents had already agreed to his decision. They weren't happy about it, but they understood the boy's desire.

No one argued against what he said. He had every right to feel the way he did.

"I have no problems with leaving either," Ryo declared. He had no real family or friends outside of the other Legendary Tamers to feel tied to the place.

"Same here," Artemis and Makoto said. They had yet to have any attachment to the place, having only been there for a number of months.

It was Henry and Rika who needed more time to think. They had their own families to think about. They would have to discuss it with them.

"It's up to you, Henry. Don't let us force your hand," Janyu said softly. "We'll always be here if you need us."

Henry was silent.

"Take the night to think over your decision. You can tell us what you've decided tomorrow," Riley told the two uncertain Legendary Tamers. They both looked relieved to be given some time to think over the situation.

That night, as Rika ate dinner with her mother and grandmother, she told them about the choice she had to make. "What should I do?" she asked, seeming rather ambivalent.

"It's up to you, sweetheart." Seiko said. "We want you to be happy."

"You should do what you feel is right," Rumiko told her daughter. "We'll always be here for you when you need us. That's a promise."

Rika smiled at her mother, feeling a wave of relief at the reassurance.

"Thanks, Mom," she said, hugging her mother. Rumiko looked surprised before smiling. Her little girl had grown up.

********

"You better keep in contact with us," Suzie demanded, a little put out that her brother wasn't allowing her to come along.

"Don't worry, I'll write to you every day," Henry promised his little sister as he shared a tearful goodbye with his family. "Keep Shinjuku safe in our absence, Suzie."

Suzie beamed and nodded. This was one of the rare instances in which her brother actually trusted her with the digimon situation.

********

A few days later, everyone had their things packed and they were prepared to leave for London.

"You will come back, won't you?" Takehiro asked his son uncertainly.

"When the time is right," Takato responded and the others nodded to that sentiment.

"They'll be back," Yamaki promised as he and the parents saw the Legendary Tamers enter the private jet that would take them to their new home. "I have a good feeling about it."

********

24-year old Artemis Winthrop walked through Tokyo International Airport, Lucemon following her silently. She ignored the curious looks she received from people around her.

'_I never thought we'd come back here,_' she thought to herself, heading for the baggage claim.

The six Legendary Tamers had thrived in London, finding themselves happier there. The Tamers in that area were much more cooperative. They had been displeased when they got a request for them to return to Shinjuku to help with the rising number of bio-emergences.

As Artemis picked up one of her bags, it was taken by her fiancée, Makoto.

"The others are waiting for us," the 25-year old blonde said. "You're the only one who checked any bags in."

"Not all of us chose to use Takato's shadow dimension to transport things. I like to keep things legit, thank you," Artemis smiled, pecking his lips.

"Come on. Everyone's looking at us because of the digimon." Makoto urged, leading Artemis out. She allowed him to do so, amusement in her eyes.

"Since when have you been afraid of any attention?" She teased, squeezing his hand in hers.

"Shut it, you." Makoto said with a grin, knowing he was caught.

"Are you two finished flirting?" Rika Nonaka-no, Akiyama-asked with a smirk as she leaned against her husband.

"Well not all of us have passed the Honeymoon stage of the relationship." Makoto retorted. Rika just rolled her eyes.

"It feels good to be back." The eternally single Henry Wong commented wistfully, looking at Shinjuku.

"Yeah…" Takato murmured, averting his eyes from his pregnant wife for a split second, inwardly cursing the timing of the request to return to Japan. Shiho was already into the second trimester of her pregnancy and if the bio-emergences problem persisted, she might give birth in the middle of dangerous circumstances.

"We should get to Hypnos." Ryo said. "Yamaki's waiting for us."

"I heard he and Riley got married the year after we left. They had their first child last year. A beautiful boy who they named Asuma." Henry remarked.

"Yamaki must be happy." Rika remarked. "I'm really curious to see how he is a with a kid, admittedly."

"I think we all want to see." Makato said with a smile. Artemis' got a longing expression on her face briefly at the thought of the young child.

"Maybe little Asuma could prove to be a good friend for our little one." Shiho mused, looking up at Takato lovingly. He smiled.

When they arrived at Hypnos, they were greeted by all their former associates. It was obvious they were glad to see them.

"Onii!!" a voice cried out, delighted. Henry was taken by surprise when he saw Suzie run up to him, dressed in a Hypnos uniform.

"Suzie! You work here?" he asked in shock as she launched her arms around him. She nodded, squeezed him tight and then stepped back.

"When you guys left, I took up the job so I could better help keep Shinjuku under control. For a while, the digital activity seemed to dwindle but recently, there's been a huge surge of attacks that we can't keep up with." The girl declared.

"She's an excellent employee. I'm fortunate to have her on my staff. You should be proud of her." Yamaki complimented. Henry swelled with pride.

"I am." Henry said, pride in his eyes and voice. Suzie beamed as he squeezed her hand.

"So, will you fill us in on everything that we've missed in the last seven years?" Takato asked.

"The first year after you left, I admit, Shinjuku had been in chaos trying to balance out the shift in power. That was when the ill will focused on you had been at its highest. However, as the bio-emergences dwindled and peace was restored, we were able to regain order and Suzie was able to rally the Tamers that cooperated with her to Toki's band of misfits under control. They still give Hypnos a hard time every once in a while but they cooperate with us when necessary." Yamaki said.

Noticing the way Takato's eyes were darkening, Shiho quickly changed the subject.

"So even though all of the Tamers cooperate, they're still divided." She remarked.

"Without the Legendary Tamers, there's no hope for unity amongst this sector's Tamers." Riley said gravely.

"You still let us go, even though knowing that?" Ryo asked in surprise and shock.

"You needed room to grow. Something that couldn't happen while you were here." Yamaki responded.

"I take it the division between the Tamers is as much at fault as the rise in the bio-emergences?" Artemis inquired, crossing her arms.

"Unfortunately, yes." Talley sighed.

"So there are two things we'll have to work on." Makoto mused. "This will be interesting."

"First thing we'll have to do is get them to trust and respect us before we can even hope to guide them into being a unified group. It won't be easy considering the circumstances in which we left." Rika muttered.

"Kenta's already on board." Suzie inserted. Henry raised an eyebrow.

"I thought he stuck with Kazu, with Toki's goons now." He remarked. "And why do you seem so certain?"

Suzie blushed. "Kazu and Kenta stopped being friends after the Megidramon incident. And as for why I know he'll side with you guys…" she bit her lip before continuing.

"It's because Kenta and I are together."

"…" Henry simply stared for a moment. And then…

"You're WHAT?" Henry exploded, chagrined. Suzie flinched at her overprotective brother's tone.

"I'm a big girl now, Henry. I can date who I like." The 21 year old young woman said firmly. Henry opened his mouth to argue when Rika put a hand on his shoulder.

"Let it go, Henry. She's almost as stubborn as I am. She's not going to give in." Rika said. Henry just grumbled in response, but knew it was time to let Suzie live a little more.

Suddenly the alarms went off, signaling that a digimon was trying to get into the real world.

"Sir, there is more than one digimon trying to bio-emerge and they're powerful! Ultimates! Maybe even Mega!" Talley exclaimed. Yamaki swore angrily.

"Looks like it's time to get to work already." Shiho mused. "You should get moving."

Takato kissed her on the forehead. "Stay here." He told her softly before Henry, Ryo, Rika, Artemis, Makato and he rushed out of Hypnos alongside their partners.

"We'll most likely have to go all the way for this battle." Makoto shared. Ryo smirked.

"Then let's take Shinjuku by storm!" Artemis said, a glint in her eyes and determination in her voice. The six of them raised their D-Arcs in unison.

"BIOMERGE ACTIVATE!"


End file.
